Fire Burns On
by tvdspnlover
Summary: With great power, comes great responsibility. That's what Keaira was taught by the Starks. However, as they are decimated and she see's the world for what it really is, will her power to control fire corrupt her? Will Jaime, who is also battling his own demons, be able to help her? Jaime/OC. Some Jon/OC
1. The Story Begins

**A/N: This chapter and the next have been re-edited so have a read if you want, and if your new to this story I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Cold. That was her first thought when her eyes opened. She looked around her, seeing snow everywhere, as far as the eye could see. She felt herself shiver and brought her arms to wrap around her body. The wind whistled behind her, throwing her long brunette hair in her face. Then there was a different sound. She whipped her head around, seeing a dark figure not far from her now. There was something wrong with them, she could tell instantly. Their skin glinted…like it was ice. She felt her breath begin to quicken as she began to back off, but for every step she took they took two more. Without a second's thought, she took off in a run, hoping she could outrun the creature behind her. Suddenly, she was pushed to the ground and felt a freezing hand against her shoulder. Letting out a loud scream, she shot upright. She felt like she could barely breathe as she looked around her surroundings and found…she was in her room. There was no snow around her. No creature chasing her. It was a dream. She willed herself to stop shaking. Her nightmares had only grown more frequent recently and she didn't know why. She sighed when she stood up and saw it was still dark outside, but she knew she couldn't get back to sleep now. Walking towards her door she picked up her warm fur coat and ventured outside. Winterfell was dark at that time of night, but it was still an astounding sight to see. She had a fond smile on her face when she noticed a familiar face in the courtyard.

"Isn't a little late to still be practising, Jon?" Keaira grinned.

She saw that she had startled the raven-haired boy, as he almost dropped his sword, not expecting anyone to be up at the hour.

"I couldn't sleep" Jon shrugged.

Anyone who visited the courtyard in the evenings would often see Jon practising with his sword, as he trained for the Night's Watch. The place where she was set to follow him to within the year.

"Do you mind if I practice too?" She inquired, as he turned around to give her a smile.

"You know I always enjoy your company, Keaira" Jon told her.

Her grin grew at the sound of her name on his tongue, finding it instantly sounded more appealing. Raising her arm out in front of her, she conjured up a small flame in her hand, that lay just above her palm. She closed her eyes and focused on the flame getting bigger. She sighed when she opened her eyes and found that it had only increased by a few inches. She knew Benjen would ask about what improvements she had made with her flames when he next came to Winterfell and she didn't want to let him down. He was the closest thing she to a father after he had been the one to find her beyond the wall all those years ago. She felt herself shiver at the memory. The first memory she had. Benjen had quickly realised that she was no Wildling when he met her, but her past remained a mystery. She had flashes sometimes, but none of them made any sense. Benjen had advocated for her straight away, and for that she would always be grateful.

"Are you alright?" Jon queried, seeing how she was still staring intently at the flame.

"Yes. Just thinking" She shrugged at him, as he approached her.

"About what?" He frowned, concern written on his face.

"About…how long you're going to let your hair grow?" Keaira replied, making Jon laugh.

"I'm starting to think your jealous of my hair" He grinned, playfully.

"It's true. We can't all be blessed with such beautiful locks" She giggled, running her hand through his black hair.

It was then that Keaira realised just how close she and Jon were, and he seemed to be making no plans to step away.

"Your hair is not so bad" He suggested, doing the same gesture.

He pushed her long hair behind her ear, as she felt her cheeks redden lightly and not because of the cold. A whining sound from behind her caused them both to spring apart, as they looked up to see a window had been opened. Lady Catelyn was staring down at them both, a disproving look on her face before she walked away.

"I see all sorts are up at this time of hour" Keaira mumbled, coldly.

"Keaira, don't" Jon whispered, softly.

"I don't know how you tolerate her" Keaira pointed out.

"She has allowed me to live here all these years. And you" Jon exclaimed.

Keaira let out a sigh, as she remembered when she first came to Winterfell she felt so indebted to Lord and Lady Stark for allowing her to live there. Her respect for Ned had only grown over the years, but all she felt for Catelyn was anger. The way she treated Jon was almost unbearable at times. It wasn't his fault he was a bastard. Like it was not her fault she was some freak of nature, but Catelyn would never listen to that. She saw everything in black and white. She wouldn't allow Jon to train in the day, or Keaira. They had grown close due to being the outcasts.

"The King suggested that I should live here. It was your father who invited me, Catelyn…allows me to stay" Keaira explained.

"Maybe if you didn't spend so much time with me-" Jon started, but she cut him off.

"Don't say that. You're my friend, Jon. I don't care what she or anyone else thinks" Keaira stated, making Jon smile, lightly.

* * *

She felt herself falling asleep a few hours later as she joined Jon to break their fast. She wiped her eyes, hoping that the day would go by quickly and she could soon find herself back in her bed. She allowed herself to be mesmerised by the large hall for a few moments, not being able to believe how lucky she was to live in such a place. Even if she was made to eat at the back of the hall. After four years of living in Winterfell it felt like a dream sometimes. It was all because of her fire, as the King had recognised her potential. Her powers would surprise and most likely scare any Wildlings that tried to make it past the wall. She was like a scarecrow, she thought to herself. She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt something brushing against her legs and found that Arya was hiding underneath the table.

"What are you doing?" She couldn't help but laugh.

"Septa is looking for me…I can't go back to stitching" Arya pleaded, as Keaira shared an amused look with Jon.

Apart from the boy next to her, Arya was her favourite of the Stark children. She was so different from most little girls. However, that often got her in trouble and Keaira tried to help her wherever she could. Not to mention Arya had never feared her fire and was instead fascinated by it. Arya was like a little sister to her.

"Arya? Arya! Where is that little brat?" They heard Sansa shouting as she shot through the doors of the hall.

"Have you seen her?" Sansa inquired, approaching the pair.

"No…she might be in the stables" Keaira suggested.

"If you see her-" Sansa started, as Keaira cut her off.

"I'll slap her round the head for you" She told her, as Sansa nodded, curtly.

"What a little…" Arya trailed off, as Sansa left the room, earning a small kick from Keaira.

Arya grumbled as she rolled out for under the table, mumbling curse words underneath her breath.

"Your sisters, Arya. Can't you try to get along?" Keaira insisted.

"No" Arya responded.

Keaira knew that Sansa's prim and proper ways could get underneath a person's skin, but she knew the girl was only trying her best. She was young and wanted to be like her mother. She and Keaira had a mutual respect but weren't overly close. Sansa was the only one of the Stark children who didn't accept Jon, and that was hard for Keaira to get over.

* * *

She soon heard that most of the Starks were participating in an archery lesson for Bran, who was only ten years old. He was such a sweet and caring boy, that Keaira didn't know how anyone could not love him. He was like her little brother.

"Where do you think you're going?" She heard a voice boom from behind her.

"I expect the same place as you, Theon" Keaira rolled her eyes.

The Iron Born boy was the bane of her existence. She didn't trust him as far as she could throw him, and she expected the feeling was mutual.

"Little ladies should know when to hold their tongue" Theon stated.

"And you should know when you're outmatched" Keaira suggested, raising an eyebrow.

Within the blink of the eye, all the candles surrounding them were lit up, with the candle chandelier above them swaying slightly. Theon gulped, trying not to show how her ability to control fire still managed to scare him. Whereas, Keaira was trying to keep the strain of what she had just done off her face. It irritated her that such a small gesture made her feel so tired.

"Are you two fighting again?" A familiar voice questioned.

"No, my Lord/Yes, Robb" Theon and Keaira said at the same time.

"You should know better than to take on Keaira. Remember the last time you fought?" Robb smirked.

Keaira had bite her lip to stop herself from laughing as she remembered how she set Theon's trousers on fire when he had been talking badly about Jon. The older boy walked off in a huff, as Keaira gave Robb a grateful smile.

"My hero" She giggled, sarcastically.

Keaira got on very well with Robb, and often found him the easiest to confide in, which was how he knew about her growing crush on Jon. Now that she was fifteen years of age, she couldn't hide her attraction to the Snow boy anymore. He would insist that Jon felt the same way, but until he acted on it, she decided she wouldn't either. Her friendship with Jon was too important.


	2. The King Arrives

She was shaken from her thoughts as she laughed, watching on from the side-lines as Bran prepared to shoot an arrow, but Arya beat him to it, and made the perfect shot. Keaira sometimes worried about the youngest Stark girl. She was bullied and laughed at by most of the noble children, and it was clear that Ned and his lady wife had begun to recognise this. Arya was still so young, so Keaira thought it was silly to be already worrying about marriage proposals, though that didn't seem to stop Catelyn. Bran angrily ran after his older sister, annoyed that she had stolen his limelight. Although Keaira was not as close to Bran she still cared deeply for him, feeling protective over the child, even though they shared no blood link. Keaira joined the other boys as they began clearing away the arrows from the courtyard. She ruffled little Rickon's hair as he passed her a group of arrows, a proud smile on his face. She thought to herself that he was the only six-year-old who's company she would ever enjoy. When she looked behind her, ready to put the arrows away, she saw Lady Catelyn staring down at Jon with her usual look of disgust and went up to his side. Ned gave Keaira a curt nod, which she returned. He was good to her and always had been.

"Ignore her, she's only jealous of your hair" Keaira insisted, tangling her hands into his hair for good measure.

"Get off" He laughed, nudging her away.

"C'mon, I want you to teach me to shoot an arrow" Keaira announced.

"You've never been interested before" Jon stated, raising an eyebrow.

"Well I can't let you boys have all the fun, can I? I'm just following in Arya's footsteps" Keaira shrugged, taking up a bow.

She picked up a nearby arrow and placed it against the bow, and slowly started to pull back.

"Gods, I never realised how hard it was to use these things" Keaira panted under the strain.

"You don't need to pull it that far back" Jon advised her, taking her hand and pulling it back a little way.

"Now level the arrow with your eyes and relax your bow arm" Jon told her, as she took the shot.

She let out an embarrassed snort as she fired to arrow off behind the nearby wall and could hear Robb laughing from behind her. They both enjoyed teasing each other, knowing exactly how to irritate the other.

"Ignore him. C'mon, you're just thinking too much" Jon insisted.

A little while later and she was still no closer to even touching her target haystack.

"Well at least you're resilient" Robb observed, after coming to watch the spectacle.

In an attempt to help, Jon came up beside Keaira and placed one hand on her left shoulder and his other on her right arm. He pulled her arm back, and held her steady.

"Now" He whispered, as she took the shot.

She raised her arms up in victory as the arrow pierced the haystack, even though it was still nowhere near the target.

"I did it!" She squealed, deciding that hitting the haystack was enough for her.

Without thinking, she placed a hand on the back of Jon's head and brought a quick kiss onto his cheek, as thanks and went off to find Arya, to tell her off her victory. She didn't see the intense blush that had risen on Jon's face as she did so, but Robb had.

"You have it bad, Snow" Robb stated, patting him on his shoulder.

"Don't start" Jon said, rolling his eyes.

* * *

Ned was soon called upon to kill a man who had abandoned his post at the Night's Watch. Keaira knew she wouldn't be allowed to go, as she was a girl, but was surprised when she found Bran was told to go. He was only ten, surely he was too young to have to see something so grisly, but it wasn't her place to say. She waited at the gates of Winterfell for them to come back, and was growing worried when they finally did, as it was so late. She knew something must have happened. She was shocked when Bran came rushing towards her, two animals in his arms, that were already too big to be dogs.

"Are those direwolves?" Keaira asked, her eyes widening.

"Yes, there's one for each of us! Even Jon has one" Bran told her, excitedly.

"And which one is to be yours?" Keaira inquired.

"This one. I think I'll call him Summer" Bran informed her.

"That's a rather odd name" Keaira stated.

"He is different. He deserves a different name" Bran shrugged, rushing off to give the other pup to one of his sisters.

Keaira watched him go with a smile, as the rest of the party arrived, with Jon the last of them.

"I see you've also picked up a stray" Keaira announced, as he approached.

"The runt of the litter" Jon exclaimed, holding up the white pup.

"I'd call him a survivor" Keaira replied, stroking the wolf's fur, lightly.

"What will you call him?" She queried, a moment later.

"He is as white as a ghost. It seems right to call him that" Jon explained, as Ghost barked.

"I think he likes that too" Keaira giggled.

* * *

A month later, they were expecting the King's arrival at Winterfell. There were rumours that King Robert was going to ask Ned to be his new hand, as his previous one had recently died. They were called to meet at the gates, with the Stark's in the front row, and the others such as herself, Jon and Theon in the second row. She still didn't like Theon very much, but she recognised that he had a hard childhood, which was probably why he acted the way he did. She couldn't help but laugh when she saw Jon had his beard shaved off and his hair cut down, he looked absolutely miserable.

"I prefer the beard too" She whispered to him, as he gave her a small smile.

Arya rushed towards them, a large helmet on her head, which her father took off with a sigh. They all had a fond smile on their faces as she pushed her way in between Sansa and Bran. Keaira looked on in awe as rows after rows of armed guards came from the gates on horseback. Prince Joffrey was one of the first to approach, as he and Sansa shared a look. She blushed lightly, as he gave her a smug smirk, perhaps being told to do this by his mother. Keaira noticed the stern glare Robb gave the young boy, as his protective instinct started to kick in. She too felt the same instinct, she recognised the red heads naivety, and felt that it was only right to look after such a gentle soul. Even though Joffrey was a year older than her, he didn't look like it. His blonde hair gave him a girlish look, accompanied by his small face. She certainly did not feel any attraction towards him. A large carriage drew up beside them, as King Robert followed. They all bowed as he approached. It took a long while for him to get off his horse. Keaira was surprised to see he was such a large man, as Ned had always insisted that he was a great warrior. Robert walked towards them, stopping in front of Ned, and gestured for him to rise.

"Your Grace" Ned bowed to him, as Robert looked him up and down.

"You got fat" Robert stated, as Ned raised his eyebrows, gesturing that Robert was actually the one who had gained weight.

There was a tense moment, where no one seemed to be sure what was to happen. All of a sudden, Robert let out a throaty chuckle, as Ned joined in. They embraced warmly, grinning from ear to ear.

"Cat!" Robert exclaimed, pulling Lady Catelyn into a quick hug.

He ruffled Rickon's hair, before going back to stand in front of Ned.

"Nine years. Why haven't I seen you? Where the hell have you been?" Robert asked, with a slightly accusing tone.

"Guarding the North for you, Your Grace. Winterfell is yours" Ned explained.

Meanwhile, Cersei Lannister, Robert's wife, excited the carriage, a sour look on her face. It was still clear even with this expression that she was one of the most beautiful women in the land. She didn't seem to think very much of Winterfell from the look on his face, but it was to be expected. She was the Queen, afterall.

"Where's the Imp?" Arya inquired.

"Shut up" Sansa hissed at her.

"Who have we here? You must be Robb" Robert said, giving Robb a firm handshake.

"My, you're a pretty one" Robert told Sansa, who smiled.

"Your name is?" Robert asked, with a dismissive tone.

"Arya" She replied, as Robert nodded.

"Ooh. Show us your muscles. You'll be a soldier" Robert told him, as Bran grinned at him.

"And you must be this famous girl I have heard so much about" Robert exclaimed, surprising Keaira.

She hadn't expected him to address her, and wasn't quite sure how to react.

"Your Grace" She bowed.

"You must show us your talents at the feast tonight. I don't believe many men get to see such a feat of nature" Robert went on, as she nodded.

They looked on, as a man with golden hair removed his helmet. She could hear a few sharp inhales from behind her, as many of the women in the courtyard stared at the man in front of her. There was no denying that he was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen.

"That's Jaime Lannister. The queen's twin brother" Arya whispered.

"Would you please shut up" Sansa insisted.

Keaira was shocked when instead of looking to his King, or Ned, Jaime Lannister's eyes seemed drawn to hers. She had never particularly liked those with blonde hair, but there was something about his face that was inherently attractive. She looked away for a moment as the Queen approached Ned, giving him her hand to kiss. Keaira looked back to the famous Kingslayer to see he was still staring at her, his head slightly tilted. She could see from the corner of her eye, both Robb and Jon were glaring at him, obviously not liking his interest in her. She wasn't sure if she liked it either. She had heard many stories of the Lannister's and knew they were dangerous. However, she quite liked the fact that Jon was being protective of her, maybe even jealous.


	3. The Feast

Keaira went to the feast as she was ordered to with a frown on her face. She was angry that as usual Catelyn had refused to allow Jon to join them, saying it would be an insult to the Royal Family. Keaira had argued that she should not be allowed to go in that case, but Catelyn stated that the King was expecting her at the feast. She looked on at the King who was currently kissing a random woman, while grabbing her backside, barely stopping herself from rolling her eyes. The King quickly noticed her and insisted that she show some of her talents. A quiet came over the busy room, as everyone's eyes were on her. Keaira gulped, feeling nervous as she began her planned performance. It was nothing fancy, she just used her abilities to create a fiery Stag on the ceiling and made it move around the hall, as many gasped. She lowered the Stag so that it seemed to gallop across the table, as every eye watched hers. She ended the performance, by making a flag with a Stag's head on it, before letting the image disintegrate beside her. She was met with thunderous applause, making her smile proudly. The hall then descended into a flurry of dancing, as Keaira went to find Arya, thinking that she would keep the best company. However, before she made it, someone stepped in front of her, blocking the way.

"My Lady, may I have this dance?" Jaime Lannister requested, holding his hand out to her.

She was taken aback for a moment, confused as to why the Kingslayer was giving her so much attention. She nodded, realising that she still hadn't given him an answer. As she passed him her hand, he bent down to press a soft kiss to it, making her blush. With a smug smile, he moved them towards the crowds of dancers, and placed his other hand around her waist, as she placed her hand on his shoulder. She was slightly nervous, as she knew she wasn't a particularly good dancer, and he did seem to be. She looked up at the taller man, finding that he seemed to be gazing into her eyes once again.

"Why are you doing that?" Keaira frowned.

"Doing what?" He replied, innocently.

"Looking at me like that. You were doing it earlier" She explained.

"Can I not gaze at a beautiful woman?" Jaime asked.

"I may be young, but I'm not naïve. Just because you have a pretty face does not mean I can be easily toyed with" Keaira informed him.

"I'm offended you would think of such a thing" Jaime smirked at her, as she looked away, a small smile tugging its way onto her face.

"There are many more eligible ladies for you to dance with…who are most likely better dancers" She exclaimed.

"Yet it is you I wish to dance with" Jaime replied.

"I'm afraid I am too tired to give another performance with my fire, if that is what you are looking for" Keaira suggested, expecting that was why he had taken an interest in her.

"Has no other noble wished to speak with you about anything else?" Jaime inquired.

"No. They have not" Keaira told him, surprising her with her honesty.

"It is there loss then" Jaime smirked at her, once again.

She may have been distrusting of the older man, but that didn't mean she wasn't flattered by his interest. The only other man to engage with her in such a way, was Jon, but she felt as if she was only projecting her own feelings onto him. She had a crush on him for so many years, but was still too embarrassed to make a move. Her thoughts were disrupted, by a face that caught her eye. Cersei Lannister was glaring at them from across the room. Keaira wondered why she looked so angry. Perhaps it was because while her brother was allowed to dance away, she was forced to sit and look presentable, like all the other noble women. But as their eyes connected, Keaira was shocked to find that along with anger, there was a fierce jealousy in her eyes. The same jealously that Keaira had shown when she saw Jon leaving a brothel a few months prior. Realising that even dancing with the golden lion was too dangerous, she began to pull away.

"If you'll excuse me, I must retire to my bedchambers" Keaira apologized.

"So soon?" Jaime queried.

"If you are hoping for an invite, you are sorely mistaken" Keaira retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"One more dance?" Jaime insisted, as Keaira rolled her eyes.

"It is clear there is someone who wishes to dance with you much more than I" Keaira blurted out, seeing Jaime's eyes following her own gaze, to his sister.

Jaime instantly stopped dancing, letting go off her waist. He seemed shocked to hear her say such a thing. She quickly excused herself, rushing away as quickly as she could. She could barely stop herself from face palming as she neared the exit to the hall.

"That was quite a performance you put on" A voice announced, stopping her in her tracks.

She turned around, anxious to see the Queen was calling her over.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it" Keaira replied, hoping that she meant when she had shown her fire, and not when she was dancing with Jaime Lannister.

"How old are you?" Cersei inquired.

"I will be sixteen in a few moons time, your Grace" Keaira told her.

"You certainly have an unusual beauty to you…for such an age" Cersei stated.

Even though it may have seemed like a compliment on the surface, it was clear to Keaira it was seen as more of an insult. Compared to the Queen, she was very plain. Keaira had never been considered particularly pretty, but it did not bothered her.

"Thank you" Keaira said, when she realised she still hadn't answered.

"Have you bled yet?" Cersei questioned her, making her blush lightly.

"Uh, yes" Keaira exclaimed.

"And still you are not married?" Cersei inquired.

"I have yet to receive my title" Keaira explained.

"Well I'm sure that could be brought forward. Is your eldest son spoken for?" Cersei queried, looking to Catelyn.

"No, he is not" Catelyn told her, unsurely.

"Surely they would make a wonderful match. I'm sure you would rather stay here than travel up to King's Landing with us?" Cersei pressured.

"I believe Ned would rather her not marry until after her sixteenth name day. He has certain ideals" Catelyn stated.

"I'm sure your son wouldn't mind waiting. Not for such a…smart young girl" Cersei went on.

Keaira knew why she was saying all this. Sansa was most likely to marry Cersei's eldest son, Joffrey, and if that was to fail, Arya would be next. However, after that it could even be Keaira herself who would be called upon. This would certainly not do in the Queen's eyes. She was looking to Keaira as if to say that the smart thing to do would to go along with it. Luckily for her, Keaira would be much happier to marry Robb, than Cersei's strange child.

"Of course" Catelyn nodded.

"If you would excuse me, your grace. I must retire to my bedchambers now" Keaira told her, as Cersei nodded.

The Queen's eyes then landed on her twin brother, which made Keaira frown. Surely her previous dance with Jaime wasn't what persuaded Cersei to insist that Keaira be married.

Meanwhile, Jaime had watched this interaction, unsurprised by his sister's jealously. If she asked why he had decided to dance with the girl, he would merely say it was to make her feel exactly that. However, truthfully, he seemed drawn to the young girl. It was not that she was especially pretty, not like his sister, but her eyes were truly something to behold. They had caught his eye straight away. Piercing blue orbs that seemed to change colour almost continuously. He had never felt any sort of attraction to anyone apart from Cersei. However, he was not about to betray his sister because of some girl.

* * *

She hadn't got very far down the corridor before a hand touch her shoulder. She turned around to see none other than the man she could soon be forced to marry.

"I trust you heard what was said" Keaira suggested.

"It sounds as if we will soon be married" Robb stated.

"Don't worry, you'd still some moons of freedom" Keaira joked.

"If…if you are particularly repulsed by the idea, I could persuade Mother to reconsider" Robb told her.

"I can think of far worse men to marry. The Queen's eldest being one of the top" She explained.

"Well I can't think of a prettier girl to marry" Robb informed her, with a smirk.

"Oh, you flatter me" Keaira giggled, mockingly swooning.

"However, I fear we may have some troubles if that was come to pass. Your feelings for my brother being one" Robb exclaimed.

"Ugh, this again" Keaira sighed, starting to walk again.

"If you would just admit your feelings for him, then-" Robb started.

"No, we've been through this before" Keaira insisted.

"I know he likes you" Robb went on.

"Has he ever directly said to you the words 'I like Keaira'" She inquired.

"Well, no…" Robb trailed off.

"Exactly, because he doesn't. Now you better run off back to the feast. Arya will probably grow bored and start fighting her sister soon enough" Keaira explained.

"You can't run away from this forever" Robb told her, as Keaira rolled her eyes, walking away.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Even though it looks like Robb and Keaira may be married in the future, obvious events are going to stop this from occurring. There will be no romance between them. Please leave a review:)

Padfootette: Thank you! I'm really glad you like this story:)

Radio Free Death: While I will take some of these on board, such as making Keaira more flawed, which is definitely a good idea, I feel you're being very picky about things such as the grammar. This is only fanfiction, remember. As we will learn later they're more like repressed memories, as she does not want to remember her past. She has fire powers, so I think that should explain why she didn't die from the cold, haha. Like I said I'll take everything on board, but I'm still continuing with this story.

farrahjohnson21: Thank you for this review! I'm glad you seem to like this story, haha. Here's the new chapter:)


	4. Bran's Fall

She decided to go see Jon before she slept, wanting to keep him company as he wasn't allowed to the feast. Sometimes she really wanted to slap Lady Stark, slap some damn sense into the woman.

"I wonder who has offended you so to give you that expression" A voice announced, as she was about to walk outside.

She looked around her to see a small man approaching. She guessed it was Tyrion Lannister, the Queen's other brother.

"I don't believe it to be any of your business" Keaira replied, rather boldly.

"I suppose not. Are you going out? I think you may catch a chill if you do" Tyrion informed her, finding her fierceness refreshing.

"I am used to this weather, thank you" Keaira stated.

"Going to keep the bastard company?" Tyrion suggested, as Keaira passed him.

"What has he done to make you so rude to him?" Keaira accused.

"I'm afraid you have taken my comment as rudeness, when it was meant to be only an observation" Tyrion explained.

"You should treat him with more respect" Keaira insisted.

"My apologizes, I didn't realise you were so protective of him" Tyrion said, a small smirk on his face.

"I…I'm not, I just…It's not nice, that's all" Keaira stuttered.

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed" Tyrion smiled at her, as Keaira began to walk away.

"He shouldn't be ashamed of being a bastard. He seems a rather honourable man. A quality not many have" Tyrion called after her, as she turned around.

"Thank you, My Lord" Keaira stated, knowing it was him trying to apologize.

"Please, call me Tyrion" He told her, holding out his hand to take hers.

She gave him her hand, as he kissed it gently, a small smirk on her face.

"You and your brother may not have much in common, but you do have that" She informed him, knowing that he must often be annoyed by people comparing his flaws to his brother's.

"Jaime kissed your hand? How strange" Tyrion frowned, walking away.

Keaira was about to call after him, wondering what he meant, but decided against it. It's not as if it mattered. She soon found Jon, angrily hitting a dummy with a large sword.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Keaira inquired, approaching him.

"I had a talk with the Imp" Jon told her, in between blows.

"Hm, so did I. I have to admit though, he seems much nicer than his sister" Keaira stated.

"How's the feast?" Jon inquired.

"Eventful. It sounds like Robb and I will be married within a year" Keaira informed him, as Jon missed his target, practically dropping his sword.

"What?" He questioned.

"Cersei Lannister was very persuasive. I think it's all because she wants to make sure her precious son doesn't have to marry me" Keaira explained.

"Right…" Jon trailed off, now having stopped what he was doing.

He had a strange sullen look on his face, and ridiculously slumped shoulders. She wanted to think that perhaps it was because of her engagement to Robb, but she knew that was just fanciful thinking.

"Hey, look on the bright side. At least it would mean I would stay in the North" She stated, nudging Jon.

"That would be good" He smiled at her.

"I heard Benjen's about. I hope I see him before he goes" Keaira exclaimed.

In a way she felt like Benjen was her father figure, and not a bad one at that. He always came to see her whenever he left the Wall, he seemed to feel the protectiveness over her that a Father would have.

"He'll be happy to see you. I talked to him about joining the Night's Watch. I think soon I might finally be able to go" Jon announced.

"Oh…so you'll be leaving?" Keaira asked.

One of the reasons that she had been happy to stay in the North, was because she had hoped Jon would stay at Winterfell. It seemed like a fine idea at the time, but knowing that he would soon go to the Night's Watch upset her now.

"I have to do this" He insisted.

"I suppose it wouldn't be long before I'd join you" She shrugged.

"Are you sure that would still happen? Seeing as you'd be Robb's wife" Jon suggested, as Keaira decided to make a bold move.

"Careful Snow, I might think you were jealous" Keaira grinned.

"I…what? No, that's…I was only pointing it out" Jon stuttered.

"Jaime Lannister danced with me at the feast" Keaira informed him.

"He, what? Why?" Jon asked, most certainly seeming jealous, to Keaira's delight.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I am quite the catch" Keaira grinned.

"Jaime Lannister is a dangerous man" Jon warned her.

"Then it's a good thing I only have eyes for one man" Keaira replied, as Jon frowned at her.

"…Oh, and that's Robb, obviously" Keaira said, somewhat awkwardly.

"I know you don't love him. But he would make a good husband" Jon insisted.

"I know…it's just…I was hoping…someday…" Keaira trailed off, not having the guts to tell him.

"What?" Jon questioned.

"Oh, nothing. Never mind. You should go inside soon. You'll catch a cold out here" She told him.

"I'm fine" Jon shook his head, but Keaira could see he had begun to shiver.

"I mean really, you should escort me to my chambers. Who knows who'll try to intercept me on the way?" Keaira went on, dramatically.

"Alright then, come on" Jon exclaimed, packing away his sword.

"Did you really dance with Jaime Lannister?" Jon inquired, a moment later.

"Yes, but I would have much rather danced with you" She grinned at him, as he gave her a small smile back.

* * *

When Keaira heard of Bran's accident she was completely heartbroken. She had come to see him as family, and he was far too young to have such a terrible thing happen to him. Far too young to die. The Maester had informed them that there was strong hope that Bran would live, however he would most certainly never walk again. Seeing what an energetic boy he was, Keaira knew even if he did wake, he would be crushed. She was in the hall, playing with her food, when a familiar small man approached her, sitting opposite.

"My condolences, My Lady" Tyrion told her.

"He is not of my blood" Keaira shrugged.

"But you still see him as family. My brother and I may clash often, but I know how heartbroken I would be if he were to die" Tyrion admitted.

"He's not going to die" Keaira shook her head.

"Of course, I heard the Maester said he will live" Tyrion nodded.

"But he might not ever wake up…" Keaira trailed off.

"You mustn't think like that. The child is strong. He will continue to fight" Tyrion insisted.

"I saw you slapping the Prince earlier. It was quite the spectacle" Keaira stated, changing the subject.

"The little shit often gets on my nerves, sometimes I cannot contain myself" Tyrion confessed.

"I must admit I have never heard someone call Joffrey 'the little shit'. I think it is a rather good fit" Keaira grinned.

"I'm glad you agree" Tyrion smiled back at her, standing up.

"I hear you are leaving to go to the Wall" Keaira called after him.

"There has been a slight change of plans, I will be staying with my family on the road to Kings Landing" Tyrion replied.

"Oh, why?" Keaira couldn't help but ask.

"We received a letter from my father, stating that he wanted the whole family together and for me not to go off on a 'fool's errand'" Tyrion admitted.

"Oh…that's rather harsh" Keaira stated.

"That's my father in a nutshell…were you hoping I would be able to look out for Snow while I was there?" Tyrion smirked.

"The thought had crossed my mind" Keaira confessed.

"Fear not, I will find a way to visit the Wall soon, whether my father likes it or not" he exclaimed.

"Thank you" Keaira said, gratefully, as Tyrion nodded, departing.

* * *

Keaira decided later that morning to go looking for the boy she was so worried about, knowing he was leaving soon. She was surprised when she saw Jaime Lannister approaching him, and stayed back to listen to the conversation. She had overheard people saying that it was the Lannister who had found Bran which was undeniably suspicious. Keaira had thought for a moment that he had played a part in what had happened, but she decided against the thought. It made no sense that he would incriminate himself for no reason.

"A sword for the wall?" Jaime inquired, indicating to the skinny sword that was being made.

"I already have one" Jon replied, ushering to his side.

"Good man. Have you swung it yet?" Jaime queried.

"Of course I have" Jon frowned.

"At someone, I mean. It's a strange thing, the first time you cut a man. You realize we're nothing but sacks of meat and blood and some bone to keep it all standing. Let me thank you ahead of time for guarding us all from the perils beyond the Wall...Wildlings and White Walkers and whatnot. We're grateful to have good, strong men like you protecting us" Jaime said, as he grabbed Jon's hand, his grip hard as Jon gulped.

He then patted him on the shoulder condescendingly and walked away, a smirk on his face.

"We've guarded the kingdoms for 8,000 years" Jon retorted, surprising Jaime by his defiance.

"Is it "we" already? Have you taken your vows then?" Jaime inquired.

"Soon enough" Jon insisted, bravely.

"Give my regards to the Night's Watch. I'm sure it will be thrilling to serve in such an elite force. And if not? It's only for life" Jaime smirked.

At this Keaira decided she wouldn't stand for it, he was being cruel to Jon for no reason at all.

"Pay no mind to him Jon. You're doing an honourable thing" Keaira stated, loud enough for Jaime to hear.

"And that's something I'd know nothing about I suppose?" Jaime queried, as Keaira shrugged dismissively.

"What's the difference between the Night's Watch and the Kingsguard? You all swear to take no wife, sire no children. You don't seem to be particularly different types of people either" Keaira went on.

"Keaira…" Jon warned her quietly, worried she was about to get herself in trouble.

"I'm just trying to bestow some wisdom on the boy…seeing as we're so alike" Jaime retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"Thank you, Ser Jaime" Jon cut in, before Keaira could say anything else.

"A pleasure as always, my lady" Jaime said, with a bow, his eyes never leaving Keaira's.

Keaira felt herself flush lightly, under his intense gaze, irritated that he could get such a reaction out of her from a simple look. As Jaime took leave, Jon couldn't help but feel jealous, sensing that there was something going on between the two.

"Ass" Jon whispered, once Jaime had walked away, making Keaira giggle loudly.

"That he is" Keaira stated, as she leaned in and gave Jon a quick kiss on the cheek.

It was Jon's turn to flush this time, as Keaira pulled away with a shy smile on her face.

"What was that for?" Jon queried.

"For looking out for me" Keaira replied.

Jaime had watched this interaction from across the courtyard, surprised to find himself feeling somewhat jealous. He had only approached the bastard after hearing some servants talking about Keaira's affections towards him and it was clearly true. He had even stayed with the boy who he had pushed and called for help because of her. It was those damn eyes, he couldn't get them out of his head when he was going to leave. For the first time in a long time, he had actually felt guilt. With a shake of his head, he left, decided to think nothing more of it.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I've changed the storyline a little bit and have had Tyrion stay with them for a bit longer, as I can imagine Tywin having something to say about him going off to the wall. I think he will certainly make their journey much more interesting. Please leave a review:)

Bella-swan11: I'm glad you seem to get where I'm going with this story, and seem to like all the relationships so far:) Jon and Keaira definitely need to man up and tell each other how they feel before it's too late. And it will be interesting to see how Jaime's relationship develops with her. Thanks for the review!

Padfootette: Thank you so much:)


	5. Goodbye's All Around

"Benjen!" Keaira called out, when she saw him later in the courtyard.

He smiled at her, and rushed towards her, taking her in his arms, swinging her around a little.

"Gods, how you grow every time I see you. You make me feel very old" He stated, pulling away.

"You wouldn't have to feel that way if you visited Winterfell more" Keaira suggested, as Benjen shook his head fondly.

"You know I can't do that. I am a man of the Night's Watch. Besides…next year you will be coming to live with me" Benjen grinned.

"I won't be the only one by the sounds of it" Keaira exclaimed.

"Ah, yes. I was wondering when you were going to bring that up. You know I'll look out for him. He is my nephew after all" Benjen explained.

"And you know how he is. He's stubborn" Keaira insisted.

"And so are you" Benjen replied, with a grin.

"Have you heard about the offer for my brother to become Hand of the King?" Benjen inquired.

"I'm surprised Ned so readily accepted. Leaving Winterfell won't be easy for him" Keaira sighed.

"I think there is more to it than that. He will be in danger in Kings Landing, so will the girls" Benjen went on, as Keaira frowned.

"You think someone will try to hurt them?" Keaira asked.

"Look at what happened to the last Hand of the King" Benjen stated.

"You think I should go with them?" Keaira realised.

"Perhaps…I want my brother and his children protected, yet…I couldn't bare the thought of anyone harming you" Benjen admitted.

"I can protect myself" Keaira insisted.

"You could better protect yourself if you practised fighting with your fire" Benjen started.

"Not this again. I don't believe I was given this power to hurt people" Keaira retorted, with a shake of her head.

"That is a noble ideal. I see Ned has been rubbing off on you" Benjen smiled, sadly.

"You say that like it's a bad thing" Keaira frowned.

"Sometimes my brother is too damn noble for his own good" Benjen sighed.

"I will see what Ned has to say to the matter of me travelling with them" Keaira announced.

"If you do this, Keaira…you cannot trust anyone in King's Landing" Benjen warned her, as she nodded.

"And you must promise me one other thing…you will keep yourself alive no matter the cost" Benjen exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Keaira questioned.

"You are so young, you do not yet know the horrors of this world. You must learn to put yourself first, Keaira. Or this world your entering will eat you alive" He explained, as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

* * *

"Lord Stark, can I speak with you?" Keaira called out in the hallways, a few hours later.

"Please, you know you may always call me Ned" He smiled down at her.

"There is a matter I wish to discuss with you…I am not sure how you will feel about it" Keaira announced.

"Go on" Ned nodded.

"I wish to travel with you and the girls to King's Landing" Keaira informed him.

"Why? Winterfell is your home. It's safe here" Ned replied.

"Exactly…you are going to a dangerous city with only your young daughters" Keaira went on.

"And my men who would lay down their lives for me" Ned exclaimed.

"Still, Robb will stay here, with your other sons. And I certainly don't think Lady Catelyn needs any protection" Keaira grinned, making Ned smile.

"That she does not…you would put yourself at risk for this family?" Ned questioned.

"You are my family" Keaira confessed, as Ned placed his hand on her shoulder.

"That you are. I agree, you should come with us. But you must remember you are only fifteen years of this world-" Ned started.

"Sixteen within two moons" Keaira cut in, making Ned laugh.

"You must allow my men and I to protect you, Keaira. Otherwise you can not join us" Ned told her, as she nodded.

"I will inform Sansa and Arya. I'm sure the latter will be thrilled" Ned smiled.

* * *

She knew that she would have to leave soon, and she still hadn't said goodbye to Jon. If she did, it would suddenly be real. She was so desperate for him not go, but he seemed set on the idea. She decided to leave him until last. It was easiest saying goodbye to Rickon, as he didn't really understand what was going on, thinking that she would only be gone for a little while. It was harder saying goodbye to Bran, who still had not woken. She hated leaving him, she wanted to stay and protect him.

"I'm sorry, Bran. I'll be back soon" She told him, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Do you really believe that?" Lady Catelyn inquired, having not left her son's bedside in days.

"…I don't know. I hope so. I suppose you will be happy to have me gone" Keaira stated.

"I have never hated you, Keaira. However, I do not trust you" Catelyn explained.

"Because of my friendship with Jon?" She suggested, angrily,

"Not only that…you're dangerous, I have always seen that" Catelyn informed her.

With a shake of her head, she turned to leave, only stopping when Catelyn called after her.

"Will you protect my girls? Please" Catelyn begged.

"I thought you said you didn't trust me" Keaira retorted.

"I have no one else to ask" Catelyn cried.

"As long as I am around, no harm will come to them" Keaira promised.

* * *

"It's true then? You're leaving" Keaira heard a voice boom from behind her.

"I have to, Robb" Keaira sighed, as he nodded.

"I will miss you, perhaps the most" He admitted.

Keaira surged forward, as he wrapped his arms around her, as she rested her face in the crook of his neck.

"Will you be all right here?" Keaira questioned.

"I can look after myself, Keaira" Robb laughed, pulling away.

"Make sure you're still alive when I come back" She told him.

"Just make sure you come back" He pleaded.

"Don't worry, this won't be the last you see of me" Keaira smiled at him.

"I think we would have be good together, you and I" Robb stated.

"We would have" Keaira exclaimed, letting out a sigh and turning away.

Taking a deep breath, Keaira walked towards the gates, knowing that it was now or never to say goodbye to Jon. She couldn't say goodbye on the road, it didn't seem right somehow, it should be at their home.

"Jon…" She called over to him, as she approached him.

"Keaira, I-" Jon was cut off, by Keaira pulling him into a bone crushing hug.

"Don't go" She cried, a few tears dropping down her face.

She had been putting on a strong face all day but now, she couldn't keep it in anymore.

"I have to. You know that. I don't belong here. Besides, you'll be coming up to the wall soon enough. On your sixteenth name day, that should still count" Jon went on.

"But what if something happens to you? You could be killed!" Keaira exclaimed.

"I won't. I'll still be there when you come" Jon insisted.

"Don't do anything stupid" Keaira told him.

"Of course I won't, have you met me?" Jon joked.

"That's why I am worried" Keaira replied, a small smile on her face.

"Will you be alright in King's Landing?" Jon asked her.

"I'll look after the others" Keaira promised him.

"And yourself" Jon stated.

"Promise me we will meet again" Keaira said, sadly.

Jon then cupped her face with his hand, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

"I promise" He replied, pulling away.

He then jumped on his horse, and looked down at her as tears welled in her eyes. She couldn't tell him of her true feelings, otherwise she knew he would never leave her. He needed to go to the Wall, to find his true calling, it was the only way to make him happy. He certainly wouldn't find it in King's Landing.

"Goodbye, Jon" Keaira announced.

"Goodbye, Aira" Jon mumbled, using her nickname.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! That will be the last we see of Jon for a while, but don't worry we'll still hear lots about him as Keaira will miss him a lot. Please leave a review:)

Farrahjohnson21: Thanks for the review:)

Bella-swann11: I think Keaira made the decision in this chapter to put Jon above her own feelings and to let him go. I think it's true what you said about Jaime being very passionate about the things he cares about, and Keaira will slowly become one of those things. Thanks for the review:)


	6. An Interesting Start

She had found a good place to cry, that was at the back of the kitchens where no one usually ventured, and decided to go there just before she left. Instantly she burst into tears, she couldn't believe she was really having to leave her home, and that she might never see Jon again. She was managing to calm down her sobbing, when she heard someone approach her. A hankie was thrust near her face, which she gladly took, mopping away her tears. She looked back at who had handed it to her, finding it to be Jaime Lannister.

"I don't need your pity, Lannister" Keaira told him, as she saw he was surprised that she still did not call him Kingslayer.

"Why are you crying? Are you that upset at the Snow boy leaving?" Jaime asked.

"It looks like Bran will never wake up, I am being forced to leave the only home I've ever known, and going to the land of deceit and betrayal…and yes, I'm also having to leave most of my friends. Should I be happy about that?" Keaira questioned, standing up and squaring up to the older man.

"My apologises, My Lady. I have never been very good at being…" Jaime trailed off, trying to think of the right word.

"Kind?" Keaira inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"You wound my pride" Jaime mocked.

Keaira felt guilty all of a sudden, this man had done nothing to wrong her, why should she take her anger at the world out on him?

"I'm sorry, Ser. I don't mean to speak out of tone" Keaira apologised, as Jaime chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Keaira inquired.

"I think that's the first time someone's called me Ser in years" He confessed.

"I imagine there's probably a reason for that" Keaira told him.

"You're a rather feisty young lady, aren't you?" Jaime smirked, as a Lannister guard approached them from behind and informed them that they would be leaving soon.

"I will look forward to seeing you on the road, My Lady" Jaime towards her, before turning to leave.

Keaira watched with a frown as he walked away, for whatever reason there was something about the famous Kingslayer that intrigued her.

* * *

And so, their journey to King's Landing began. Keaira had never considered just how long it would take to get to the Capital, and she soon realised that she was not going to enjoy the trek. She was lucky enough to be given a horse to ride, which many of Ned's men did not receive. Of course, she didn't get a carriage like Sansa and Arya did, but at least it meant she didn't have to walk. She was grouped with the children mostly, which annoyed her to no end. It wasn't that she disliked spending time with Sansa and Arya, but she didn't feel like a child. She was almost sixteen. Nymeria seemed to sense this and went to sit with her as she watched the children play. She rubbed the direwolf's head, deciding that apart from Ghost, she was her favourite.

"I don't think you could look any more miserable if you tried" A voice announced behind her.

She turned to see Tyrion Lannister observing her, and for once they were at the same level as she was sitting down.

"I grow tired of watching the children play" Keaira admitted.

"Unless I am wrong, I believe Lady Sansa is only two years your junior" Tyrion stated.

"Almost three…and she's already getting tired of it" Keaira gestured to where Sansa was rolling her eyes, as she watched Arya getting her tunic dirty.

Nymeria had been watching the small man intently, her protective instincts kicking in, as Keaira was still unsure what to think of him. Nymeria began to give out a low growl, as Tyrion backed up a step.

"It's okay, Nymeria. He's not going to hurt anyone" Keaira assured her, as she rubbed her back.

"How could I…with these stumpy little hands?" Tyrion exclaimed, waving his arms around.

"You don't have to be physically strong to harm a person" Keaira retorted, as he nodded.

"I think you will do quite well in King's Landing" Tyrion smiled at her.

"I hope not…otherwise I'll never get away from there" Keaira answered, honestly.

"You've never even been" Tyrion stated, as he sat down next to her.

"I've heard what everyone's said. If I put one foot wrong I might end up murdered in the morning" She went on.

"I doubt Lord Stark…or this direwolf, would let anything happen to you" He suggested.

"Come children, it is time for us to continue" Jory called out to the group, as a few groans could be heard.

With that, Keaira and the Lannister stood up, as Nymeria bounded over to her partner.

"Would you ride beside me, my Lord? I think I need some adult company on this journey to stop myself from going mad" Keaira pleaded.

"…Well how could I refuse such an offer" Tyrion smiled at her, surprised.

Keaira seemed to notice this expression, as they began to walk after the children. Keaira had to walk a little slower than usual so Tyrion could keep up with her, but she didn't mind.

"You seem surprised anyone would wish to ride beside you" Keaira stated, a moment later.

"Despite my dashing good looks, I admit I do lack many offers" Tyrion laughed, as they arrived at their horses.

Keaira watched as Tyrion grabbed onto a branch beside him and heaved himself upwards so he could place one of his feet in this special saddle on his horse. He then managed to fluidly swing his other leg over, grinning at the look on Keaira's face.

"Shocking I know…a dwarf who can actually do things for himself" Tyrion exclaimed.

"No, it's not that…I'm finding it pretty hard getting on my own horse" Keaira sighed, revealing this as she tried and failed to jump onto the horse.

"Have you not spent much time around horses?" Tyrion queried.

"Honestly? No. I don't understand many girls fascination with them" Keaira admitted, as she attempted it again, almost reaching this time.

"Who picked out your horse?" Tyrion frowned.

"One of Lord Stark's men. He was very kind and offered it to me…he's over six foot" Keaira explained.

"Perhaps you should try my method" Tyrion shrugged, as she nodded.

She walked to horse over to the tree and positioned the horse in the correct place. She then went on her tiptoes and grabbed the brunch, her eyes widening when she suddenly heard a snap. A moment later she was flat on her back, as she let out a groan.

"Are you all right, my Lady?" Tyrion questioned, looking down at her.

"Excellent" She laughed, as she sat up.

Soon the pair had erupted in a fit of laughter, as Keaira could imagine the look on her face when she fell. They were still laughing as she picked herself up and dusted herself off. Meanwhile, Jaime had been watching this scene for a few minutes, after coming to search for his brother. A smile grew on his face as he watched his brother laugh so carefreely, as it had been a long time since he heard such a sound. Deciding to put the girl out of her misery, he approached the pair to offer his assistance.

"Would you like some help, my Lady?" Jaime offered.

"I am not a Lady, and I can manage myself" Keaira insisted, as Jaime put his hands up in mock surrender.

"You don't seem to have managed so far" Jaime joked, as Keaira glared at him.

"Well I haven't really been trying" Keaira suggested, as she turned to hike herself up.

"Of course…because what you have been doing is failing" Jaime replied.

"Your rather rude for a knight" Keaira accused, still not turning around to face him.

"Your rather stubborn for a small girl" Jaime retorted, as Tyrion watched them with amusement.

"Here…it will only take a moment" Jaime insisted, a moment later, as he stepped forward.

Before she could say another word, he had wrapped his arm around her waist, as his hand slipped on top of her hip. He then pushed her up, pushing her against him in the process, as she could now easily get a firm grip on the saddle. She threw her leg over the other side and manoeuvred onto the saddle, all while a blush had appeared on her face. She shook her head to rid the flush that was now cascading down her neck.

"…Thank you, Ser" She announced, in an embarrassed tone.

Jaime felt a grin begin on his face, not used to being given a respectable title. He also noticed for the first time the girl had the slightest accent to her voice, which some men would probably consider attractive. She then pulled on her horse's reins as they began to walk away. Tyrion pulled his horse over to his brother, being intrigued watching them.

"I think Lady Keaira will make this trip much more interesting" Tyrion grinned, as he began to wander after her.

Unbeknownst to them all, Jory had been watching them for the last minute, having gone back to find Keaira. He frowned as he saw the way the Lannister's were interacted with Keaira. He decided it did not sit right with him.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! And so Jaime's relationship with Keaira will begin to grow. Please can I have some more reviews?:)

Padfootette: Aw, thank you so much:)


	7. First Kill

The next week was rather uneventful, and boring. The Kingsroad looked similar everywhere they went and by then Keaira was missing everyone at Winterfell. She never realised how much it would hurt not seeing them every day. Especially Jon. She found herself wondering how he was doing, now she realised he would most likely be at the Wall. She wondered if they were treating him well enough, even though she expected the latter.

"Lady Keaira, may I speak with you?" Jory queried, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Of course" She smiled at him, as he went to sit next to her.

"I have noticed you have been spending a lot of time with the Imp" Jory exclaimed.

"He has a name" Keaira frowned, not liking Jory's rude tone.

"The Lannister's cannot be trusted" Jory insisted.

"He has not done anything wrong. He has been nothing but kind to me" Keaira retorted.

"They are sly, you may think he is your friend-" Jory started, but she cut him off.

"I thought you were my friend" Keaira stated.

"I am. That is why I am saying this. I worry for you. A girl of your age…can be easily manipulated" Jory explained.

"I am not stupid" Keaira all but growled, angry now.

"That is not what I meant, my Lady" Jory tried to clarify.

"And I am not a Lady" Keaira shook her head, standing up.

"It is not just you that you have to think about. The Starks cannot appear weak, and you are like family to them" Jory went on.

"I would never do anything to hurt them" Keaira glared at him, before rushing away, deeper into the forest.

She hadn't felt so angry for a long time. She knew that Tyrion could be manipulating, but so far, he just seemed lonely. Just like Jon had been when she first arrived at Winterfell. Jory couldn't understand what it felt like to be an outcast. Tyrion could, he seemed to need a friend, and she certainly did. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a scream not far away from her. She looked around and realised that she had been wandering around the forest for a few minutes. She instantly hid behind a tree, thinking perhaps it was bandits that had spotted her. When no one come she carefully approached the area she had heard it coming from. She came to an opening and quickly spotted the Queen and her brother…and the five men with swords that were surrounding them. Keaira noticed the state of undress the pair were both in, with Jaime's trousers and sword flung far away from them. They were defenceless. She pondered on what to do for a moment. The Starks had made it clear that they would lose no sleep if the Lannister's were killed…but she knew she could never let it go if she didn't try to help them.

"It's the Queen, I'm telling you! I saw her once at the palace!" One of the men exclaimed, excitedly.

"The you must be the famous Kingslayer…you don't seem so tough now" Another man mocked, as he circled the pair.

"We should take them…hold them for ransom" The third man suggested.

"I wouldn't mind a go with the Queen first" The fourth men grinned, showing his disgusting rotted teeth.

"Touch her and I'll kill you" Jaime glared at him, standing protectively in front of his sister.

"And how would you do that…without this?" The fifth man finally spoke, approaching the pair, picking up Jaime's sword.

"Gregor Esto" He then said, as Jaime frowned.

"What?" He questioned.

"My brother…you cut him where he stood…he was just trying to feed his family. I'd never forget your face" The man grimaced, as he placed the sword under Jaime's chin.

"My father can pay-" Jaime was cut off as the man kicked him to the ground.

"I don't want you fucking money. I want your head" He shouted, as he raised the sword.

Keaira then jumped into action, as she focused on the hilt of the sword, which instantly began to heat up.

"Ahh!" The man cried, as he dropped the sword, which had burned into his hands.

Cersei and Jaime both turned to see Keaira, who had stepped forward. Without another thought, Jaime had grabbed his sword and stabbed the man in the stomach. He then stood up and began to fight with the next one. However, one of the other men had spotted her and began approaching, his sword raised. Keaira gulped, as fear crippled her, not being able to move. Suddenly she wished she had listened to Benjen more about learning to use her fire to fight. She took a step back, as her foot hit something. She looked down to see it was a pouch of wine, as her eyes widened. She bent down and picked it up and held it out in front of her. She saw that one of the other men now had Cersei by the throat, while Jaime was fighting off the two other men.

"Not much of a weapon, little girl" The man grinned, as he took a few steps forward.

She then threw the contents all over him, as he stared at her in disbelief, clearly not knowing what she hoped to achieve. She raised her hand out and imagined a candle where the man's shoe was, as it instantly caught on fire. It began as such a tiny flame, but almost instantly it spread up his leg, the alcohol making its path easy. He let out an agonising scream, as the fire spread up his body. Within a few seconds he was completely on fire, as Keaira watched what she had done. She had never heard a sound like it before, it seemed otherworldly hearing the man screech. He dropped to his knees, as his cries stopped, but the flames continued. She looked over at the men, who had dropped their swords in shock, having seen what she did. The man who was about to cut Cersei's throat had dropped to the ground, a terrified look on his face. The other two men quickly ran away, as Keaira expected Jaime to chase after them. Until she saw his face. Pure fear. He even took a step back as her eyes locked with his. She looked back at the man by her feet, who was now most certainly dead as the flames began to diminish. She had murdered a man.

* * *

Later that day, Keaira was sitting in Ned Stark's tent, with a blanket around her shoulders. She had been so worried that when Ned was informed of what she had done he would also look at her in fear, but he hadn't. Instead he looked at her with concern. He knew what a toll taking a life could take on someone, especially a person so young.

"My Lord, the King and Queen wishes to speak with the Lady Keaira" Jory announced, as he entered the tent.

Ned nodded, as Jory drew back the tent cloth for her to walk through. They walked in silence most of the way to the King's tent.

"I am so sorry, Keaira. If I had known what would result because of my actions…" Jory trailed off.

"It is not your fault. I killed someone. No one else did" Keaira shook her head, as she took a deep breath and entered.

She had been expecting to see a lot of people in there, but it was only the King, Cersei and Jaime. She felt very small suddenly, under their intense gazes.

"Ah, here she comes. The hero of the hour" The King greeted, as she bowed.

"We owe a great debt to you. You saved our lives" Cersei began.

"To think a young girl was able to protect the Queen where the Kingslayer could not…that certainly is a story I will enjoy telling for many years" The King chuckled.

Keaira saw the man he spoke of flinch at that word. Jaime's eyes connected with Keaira's for the first time since she had entered the tent. She was happy to see most of the fear had now dissipated from them, but she could still see an uneasiness there.

"Your Grace, may I speak?" Jory questioned, seeing Keaira's unease at these talks, as the King nodded.

"Keaira is very tired from the trials of today. She has never hurt another soul before…let alone kill them" Jory explained, as it was now Keaira's turn to flinch.

"Of course, a first kill. Something that should always be celebrated. How did it feel watching that bandit burn in front of your eyes?" The King inquired, curiously.

"…Good" She answered, looking him directly in the eye.

Her honesty seemed to make him uncomfortable, as he squirmed in his chair, and allowed them to leave.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'm planning on developing Keaira's character a lot, as she's going to be darker than most OC's out there. Please leave a review:)

claudiacascione4: Aw, thank you:)

Bella-swan11: I think Tyrion will definitely like the relationship that's going to develop between Keaira and Jaime. And your right, I think Tywin would also see the benefits of them being together. However, at the moment I think Jaime is still very much in love with Cersei. Thank you for the review:)

Padfootette: I'm glad you like it, thanks!

FanGirl: Thanks, I'm hoping this story will keep getting better as it develops!


	8. Behind Those Eyes

Jory wanted to take her back to Ned's tent, but she insisted that she needed some air after the encounter. He nodded in understanding, telling her to come back when she felt more at ease. She walked over to the treeline, as she sunk down onto the ground, her back against the bark. She pulled her hair back behind her face, as she let out a shaky breath. She didn't feel like she thought she would. She thought she should be haunted by the man's burning face, but she wasn't. She didn't take joy in watching him die but…knowing he was going to hurt and that she had the power to stop it felt…good.

"First kills are never easy on the soul" A voice informed her.

She looked up to see no other than Jaime Lannister, who seemed to be avoiding her eyes again.

"It feels a little too easy on my soul" She confessed.

"It was self-defence" Jaime insisted.

"If it was self defence I would have stopped the fire from killing him" She retorted, standing up to come to his level.

Jaime then looked her in the eye, as he finally realised what he had found so intriguing the first time he had seen her. There was a spark of red behind her dark blue eyes. Fire. There was so much more to the girl than first appeared, he realised.

"I have killed many for less" He told her.

"If you have come out here because you think I will not keep your secret, you needn't worry. What you do with your sister in the shadows is none of my concern" Keaira explained, as he looked at her more intensely.

"You should watch your tongue" He warned her.

"Or what? Will you kill me?" Keaira inquired, taking a step towards him.

Her eyes seemed to change colour once again, as they darkened, as he felt fear seep into his bones. And something else. Keaira seemed to realise what she had said a moment later, as she looked away, appearing much timider instantly.

"My apologises, Ser. I am tired. I do not know what I am saying" Keaira exclaimed.

"If you ever tell anyone what you saw-" Jaime began, but she cut him off.

"I won't. I swear it" She promised, as their eyes connected once again.

She quickly excused herself as Jaime watched her go with a frown. He had thought only a few people in the whole Kingdom could challenge him, and they were all men. However, when she challenged him…he enjoyed it.

* * *

Keaira sighed as she heard the whispers all around her. It seemed everyone had heard of her first kill, and they were all much uneasy because of it. The only person who didn't treat her any differently was Arya, who seemed a little too happy about it. She was walking towards the Starks tent when she almost bumped into a large man who had been turning a corner at the same time as her. She jumped back when she realised who it was. The Hound. She heard that he could murder someone with one punch, which she was not eager to found out whether it was true. Keaira was more surprised when she saw him jump back even further. The fear in his eyes when he looked at her was almost unfathomable. She saw his hand instantly grab his sword, as if expecting her to attack him any moment. It was then that she noticed the awful burns covering half of his face.

"My apologises…I should have been looking where I was going" Keaira announced.

"Stay away from me" The Hound gritted out, his hand gripping his sword tighter.

"Now that is no way to speak to a lady. Apologise, Hound" A voice insisted from behind her, as she turned to see Tyrion Lannister.

"I…I'm sorry…" The Hound trailed off, before quickly retreating the way he had just come.

"Gods be good, I have never seen the Hound look scared in my entire life" Tyrion said, in awe.

"I tend to have that effect" Keaira exclaimed.

"It will pass" Tyrion shook his head.

"I doubt it. Everyone looks at me like I'm some…monster" She spat out.

"They have been looking at me like that my entire life. It will pass. Or you will stop noticing it" Tyrion explained.

"You don't seem scared" Keaira frowned.

"Do you want to hurt me?" Tyrion asked.

"No. Of course not" She replied.

"Then I have nothing to fear" He said, as they began walking together.

"I haven't had the chance to thank you yet. For saving my siblings" Tyrion went on.

"Anyone would have done the same" Keaira shrugged.

"We both know that is not true" Tyrion retorted.

"They were defenceless" Keaira added.

"I don't think I have seen Jaime without a sword by his side in years…why did he take it off?" Tyrion questioned, as Keaira averted her eyes.

"Ah…you know" Tyrion realised.

"I knew before" She confessed.

"Really? How?" He inquired, curious.

"At the feast at Winterfell. She was…jealous. Not in a sisterly way" Keaira whispered.

"And you haven't said anything to anyone?" Tyrion queried.

"No. Like I said to your brother. I won't" Keaira told him, as he nodded.

"How long have you known?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Many years" He answered.

"It doesn't…bother you?" She questioned.

"I am not partaking in it, so why should it? Does it bother you?" Tyrion suggested.

"A little. It seems…unnatural" She confessed.

"She took him into her bed when they were only twelve years of age. He hasn't known anything else" Tyrion theorised.

"Shouldn't it be him taking her into his bed?" Keaira inquired.

"Clearly you don't know my sister very well" Tyrion smirked.

"Should we really be discussing this so publicly?" Keaira went on.

"It's the worst kept secret in the Kingdom" Tyrion shrugged.

"I suppose it does explain some things" Keaira added.

"In what way?" Tyrion frowned.

"Why the Prince is the way he is" She answered.

"Joffrey has always been like his mother…Tommen and Myrcella on the other hand, are more like Jaime" Tyrion explained.

"You seem to have a lot to say on the subject" She stated.

"I must confess it is rather nice to converse openly about it for a change" Tyrion admitted.

"How do you know you can trust me?" Keaira asked.

"Someone who couldn't be trusted would not be placing doubt on themselves" Tyrion exclaimed.

"They would if they wanted to hide their true intentions" Keaira suggested, as Tyrion grinned.

"Have I mentioned how glad I am that you joined us on our journey?" He smiled.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It's going to be interesting to see Keaira's relationship grow with the two brothers, but what will happen when Cersei founds out how close she's getting? Please leave a review:)

Padfootette: Thank you for the review!


	9. Chivalrous

Keaira sighed as she trailed behind the Stark carriage, knowing that there was no room for her inside. The Queen had seemed to take dislike to her friendship with Tyrion, as she had requested Keaira's horse be used for one of her guards. And who was she to deny the Queen?

"Oh, come on" She groaned, as she felt the familiar pitter-patter of rain against her face.

Within the minute she was soaking wet, and the rain seemed to make no sign of stopping soon. She only thanked the Gods that they were nearer South now, so the rain was not as cold as she was used to. She wiped her face as tendrils of water cascaded down from her hair, clouding her vision. This was why she had not noticed Jaime Lannister approaching her on foot. She was surprised as he rushed towards her, using his cloak to shield his face from the onslaught of rain.

"My lady…you are welcome to shelter from the rain in my carriage" The Lannister informed her.

"Are you sure your sister won't mind?" Keaira questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you want to catch your death out here?" Jaime asked her, changing the subject.

"Thank you, Ser" She nodded, as he turned to her side.

She was surprised that he used his cloak to shelter her from the rain, as his large arm hung in the air, not far from the top of her head. It seemed intimate for some reason. He opened the door to his carriage, as she quickly hopped in, not wanting to spend anymore time than necessary in the cold. It was quite small, but cosy enough for one person to travel in. His sister, of course, stayed in her husband's carriage, whilst she knew Tyrion had his own miniature carriage for himself.

It was then that Keaira realised for the first time ever that she was completely and utterly alone with the person many called the 'Kingslayer'. As he stepped into the carriage and sat down opposite her, she wondered if she had made a terrible mistake.

"That was a very chivalrous thing for you to do" Keaira stated, not being able to keep the accusing tone out of her voice.

"I thought my brother would disapprove if I did not help you" Jaime simply shrugged, as she nodded.

It made sense. She felt a little more at ease, as she pulled her hair back from her face, feeling the water drip onto her dress.

"Here" He said, passing her a cloth, with she gladly took.

She began wringing out her wet hair, to stop it from dripping all over the carriage. Jaime took his cloak off and hanged it near the window, as it also was sopping wet. Keaira looked around the carriage, noticing that there was barely anything in it apart from his clothes.

"You're pouting" He pointed out.

"I pout when I'm thinking…or nervous" She admitted, as she realised she had been doing it.

"Are you nervous?" Jaime queried, a small smirk on his face.

"Should I be?" Keaira scoffed.

"I had an interesting conversation with brother earlier" Jaime announced, locking his eyes to Keaira's.

"Ah, so I should be worried" Keaira mumbled.

"I know you talked about a…rumour" Jaime stated.

"About you fucking your sister" Keaira blurted out, her eyes widening when she did so.

Jaime couldn't keep the surprise of his face at the response. Most of the time the girl seemed so timid, but now again her personality burnt as strong as fire.

"I…I already told you I won't say anything" Keaira insisted, her eyes dropping to the sword by his side.

"And why should I believe that?" Jaime queried.

"Prince Joffrey is marrying Sansa, if I did tell anyone that would make him illegitimate…and from an incestuous relationship. All of which would harm Sansa" She exclaimed.

"You barely seemed to have interacted with her since we began this journey" He pointed out.

"She's like family to me…just not in the way that you feel, clearly" She couldn't help but say.

"Are you trying to piss me off?" Jaime suggested.

"No! I just…don't understand it that's all" Keaira clarified.

"Well, how could you? You grew up in the Stark household" Jaime retorted.

"And that means what?" Keaira frowned.

"My childhood was a little different…" Jaime trailed off.

"At least you can actually remember your childhood" Keaira mumbled.

"So, the rumours are true? You really remember anything before you were eleven?" He inquired, curious.

"I remember bits and pieces…but that's it. I don't want to remember. I'm happy with things how they are" Keaira explained, surprised that he seemed to have investigated into her past.

"And that's why you don't like being called a Lady" He theorised, as things began to fall into place.

"Because I'm not. At least your sister doesn't treat me with pity" Keaira stated.

"No, my sister hates you. She hates the thought of Tyrion having a friend" Jaime admitted.

"You make it sound like he's never had any friends" Keaira scoffed.

"He's had a few over the years…but Cersei's always managed to scare them away" Jaime informed her.

"She doesn't scare me. Neither do you" She told him, as a grin grew on his face.

Without a second's thought he grabbed his sword and raised it in the air, pushing it towards Keaira. Her eyes widened with fear, as she backed away, thinking he was about to strike. When he instead he laughed.

"Oh, really?" He chuckled.

"You ass" Keaira shook her head, trying not to laugh at her own stupid reaction.

Jaime's chuckles soon died down as they both noticed that the rain had stopped. Keaira went to stand up, but Jaime quickly gestured for her to sit down.

"You said I could come shelter from the rain…it's stopped now…" Keaira trailed off.

"We've been moving for four hours, and we'll be travelling for at least three more. You should…rest" Jaime suggested.

"You are a lot more like your brother than you'd have people believe" She smiled at him, as she sat back down.

He seemed to mull this over for a few seconds, as Keaira thought maybe he would dislike the comparison. Instead, she saw a real smile stretch across his face, with no hint or sarcasm or smugness.

Keaira woke a few hours later with a frown, as she felt the carriage they were in come to a stop. She had never meant to fall asleep and was surprised to see her companion was also only starting to stir. She quickly pulled a strand of hair back behind her ear, and straightened out her dress, as they realised the whole party must have stopped.

"Thank you, Ser Jaime" She smiled at him, as she went to exit.

He nodded at her in response, as he watched her all but jump out of the carriage. He almost laughed as he realised if anyone caught her it would look very strange. He picked up his now damp cloak and placed it over his shoulders, smiling at the way she still called him Ser.

Jory looked on in disbelief as he saw Keaira exiting from the Kingslayer's carriage, which he knew no one had entered or left from in a couple of hours. He frowned, as he decided he would need to tell Ned. He didn't trust the Lannister's…and he was beginning to question whether he should trust Keaira.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I've started a new fanfic which you can find here s/12973267/1/The-Most-Important-Thing or just go check out my profile. It's for Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, so if anyone of you used to watch that or any of the Terminator series, please go check it out:) I really enjoyed the interactions between Jaime and Keaira in this chapter, their teasing behaviour is fun to write. Please leave a review:)

farrahjohnson21: Thanks for the review:)

xxazxx: Aw, thank you so much:) Defence is the word we use in Britain and defense seems to be what you use in America, haha.


	10. Nymeria

The next day Keaira was sent with the other ladies to wash the soldier's clothes and polish their swords. Ned had insisted that it wasn't a job for Keaira, but the Queen had pointed out that she wasn't of noble blood, and Keaira didn't mind. She smiled at the girl beside her, telling her she would finish polishing the sword she was holding. She could tell it had been a long time since the girl, not much older than her, had gotten any rest, and felt sorry for her. As she polished the sword she noticed how it gleamed in the sunlight and ran her finger down it. She stood upright and raised the sword up to her head, surprised to find it wasn't that heavy. However, when she tried swinging it she couldn't keep it steady and let out a sigh. A sword will never be my thing, she thought to herself.

"Am I interrupting your training?" She heard a voice question from behind her, and from the smugness from the tone she knew who it was.

"I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about" She replied, turning around.

"Little ladies are not supposed to play with swords" He informed her.

"Well…let's find out" She smirked, twisting the sword in her hand.

"You really think you could take me on?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe" She shrugged, playfully.

"Perhaps with your fire…with a sword. No" He told her.

"Oh, really?" Keaira grinned, as she placed the hilt of the sword in her other hand.

Jaime watched with a frown, as she took a deep breath. A moment later she pulled the sword down close to her hand, but instead of drawing it blood…it drew fire. Jaime eyes widened as he saw the sword was now on fire but was not showing any sign of melting. Keaira's grinned, as she twisted the sword in her hand again, noticing the look of awe on his face.

"How about now?" She asked, her eyes bright.

"How did you do that?" Jaime queried, not being able to believe what he had just saw.

"My fire isn't like normal fire…Benjen helped me learn some tricks" Keaira went on, as Jaime's eyes still stayed fixated on the sword.

Sensing that perhaps he was uneasy, she lowered the flames on the sword, missing the comforting heat it gave her. Jaime saw how the flames had not scorched the sword in anyway, even looking shinier than it had before.

"That certainly was…impressive" Jaime confessed.

"I'll take that as much praise coming from a knight" Keaira smiled.

"You would be quite the formidable foe on the battlefield…" Jaime realised.

"Except I have no idea how to fight with a sword" She retorted.

"Perhaps you should just stick to playing with fire, Little Dragon" Jaime informed her, a smirk on his face.

Before Keaira could roll her eyes at the nickname he had bestowed, they both heard a feminine scream and whipped their heads around in the direction it was coming from. They rushed towards the nearby inn and found the Prince with blood running down his arm, and Sansa trying to console him. A man was trying to bandage his wounds as Keaira realised it was the Prince who had let out the feminine scream. She was surprised when she saw Jaime had not made a move to help Joffrey, as they saw Cersei approaching him, a terrified look on her face. Instead he stayed under the shelter of the trees with her.

"Are you not going to help him?" Keaira couldn't help but ask.

"He has his mother for that" Jaime stated.

"Well he doesn't have his father, does he? Maybe he'd be different if he did" Keaira suggested.

"It's not my fault that the King has barely showed an interest in him" Jaime retorted.

"She mothers him too much" Keaira insisted.

"You do not have a mother or father…and you seemed to have turned out all right" Jaime told her.

"Was that a compliment?" Keaira laughed.

"Perhaps" He shrugged in response.

* * *

Soon afterwards they found out it was Nymeria who had bitten Joffrey, although there was much speculation about why. Keaira expected he had attacked Arya, as she felt it was the only reason Nymeria would have attacked someone in such a way. After the fight, Arya had disappeared with her direwolf, and it had now gotten dark. Keaira was searching anxiously through the forest, searching for her, and hoping that she was the first to find her. A hand on her shoulder caused her to gasp, and whisk her head around.

"We meet once again" Jaime Lannister greeted.

"I'm starting to think your following me" Keaira accused playfully, as Jaime rolled his eyes.

"Still no sign of the Stark girl?" Jaime inquired.

"No" She sighed.

"She could get lost easily in this darkness" Jaime suggested.

"She's smart, she's probably hiding Nymeria as we speak" Keaira replied.

"I hope for her wolf's sake she does. Cersei will kill the creature with her bare hands if she ever sees it again" Jaime explained.

"She really believes Joffrey's lies? That Arya and her friend beat him?" Keaira questioned.

"She'd rather believe that then think he was bested by a girl and a baker's boy" Jaime theorised.

Before Keaira could reply they suddenly heard a rustling in the nearby bushes and could hear something was getting closer to them. Jaime unsheathed his sword, as he went to stand in front of Keaira and face what he thought could be bandits.

"Nymeria!" Keaira cried, when she spotted the familiar direwolf rushing towards them.

She instantly crouched on the ground as the wolf came up to her to lick her face, not seeming to have a care in the world.

"What are you doing here? Where's Arya, hey?" Keaira asked her, as she petted the direwolf's head lightly.

In response Nymeria turned her head around and barked in the direction that had just been walking in, as Keaira guessed Arya may have already been found.

"You need to go, Nymeria. It's not safe for you anymore" Keaira told her, as Nymeria began to whine.

Keaira pulled her into a quick hug, as she wrapped her arms around the direwolf's large head and pulled away with a sad look on her face. She looked up at Jaime wondering why he hadn't already called the guards over to them.

"She doesn't deserve to die" Keaira insisted.

"…It needs to go now if it has any chance of survival" Jaime replied, as Keaira grinned at him.

"You have to go now, okay? Run in that direction as fast as you can. Go home" Keaira exclaimed, but the direwolf only looked at her with confusion.

"Home, Nymeria. Go home" Keaira repeated, as Nymeria barked and then began to rush off in the other direction.

"Thank you" Keaira offered, as she stood up.

"You did save my life" Jaime shrugged.

"Ser Jaime? Ser Jaime?" A Lannister guard called out, rushing over to the pair.

"What is it?" Jaime questioned, in annoyance.

"The Stark girl has been found. We're taking her to the King and Queen" The Lannister guard informed him.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I wrote a lot of chapters of this story a few months ago, and now have no more chapters to update. Can I please have some positive reviews if you want me to continue writing?

darkstel: Don't like, don't read. Thanks for being rude.

Nicole Beverley234: Yeah I do, did I say he wasn't somewhere in the story?


	11. Hidden Reasons

When they couldn't find Nymeria, the Queen had suggested that they punish the other direwolf instead. Sansa's. She had been devastated at the loss of her companion, and barely spoke for the rest of the journey. Keaira couldn't understand why Sansa wasn't angrier at the Prince, but her feelings for him seemed to be clouding her judgement. Arya on the other hand, had no problem taking her anger out on everyone around her. The sisters were so different, yet similar at the same time. She could see the conflict had been taking its toll on Ned, who was already anxious about arriving in King's Landing. She tried to keep the girls in line, but they were stubborn just like their parents. She felt relieved when they finally came to the outskirts of the City, as she hoped that not being on the road would calm the tension between the Starks. Her relief quickly turned to annoyance when she found the City was even hotter than the road had been. She wiped her hand across her forehead, as she walked along the Stark's carriage. She couldn't understand how the nobles coped in their thick gowns all day. Ned was sent off to business the moment they arrived, and asked Keaira to help settle the girls in. The Stark's had a large chamber to their own, with a dining hall, and many bedrooms, as well as a balcony. Keaira was not so lucky. She had been placed in a small bedroom in between the kitchen's and the guard's chambers. It didn't take her long to realise why no one had taken the chambers up, as she noticed the leering stares from the men who were supposed to protect the city. She wasn't scared, but she was wary. She knew to never turn her back on a man.

"I hope your settling in well" A voice boomed from behind her, as she almost rolled her eyes at her last thought.

"As well as can be expected…do you enjoy creeping around the halls, Ser Jaime?" She inquired.

"My chambers are just around the corner. I wasn't following you, Little Dragon" Jaime smirked, as he could tell the nickname annoyed her.

"I don't suppose the Queen had a part to play in me getting these…undesirable chambers?" Keaira suggested.

"Perhaps…my brother's chambers are on the other side of the castle" He pointed out, as they began to walk together.

"I don't understand how you can cope in this heat wearing your amour" She exclaimed, as he let out a small laugh.

"I could say the same to you about the cold of the North" He retorted.

They walked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, but Keaira could quickly tell that there was something playing on Jaime's mind. Something that had annoyed him. There were only a few things she could think of that could do that.

"Have you spoken to Lord Stark today?" She suggested, thinking it was the most likely.

He looked down at her with a frown, amazed that she was able to guess his inner thoughts so easily. He could almost see the cogs ticking in her head as she tried to gage a reaction. She was much smarter than he had expected.

"Why do you call him Lord Stark? You might as well be his Ward" Jaime explained.

"I'd have to be from a noble family for that to happen…why are you avoiding the question?" She insisted.

"Lord Stark…irritates me" Jaime answered, pondering on the right word for a few seconds.

"Why? He's polite and honourable-" Keaira started, but Jaime cut her off.

"Exactly" Jaime said, raising an eyebrow.

"I suppose because you're oh so dishonourable that being in a room with Ned Stark just makes your skin crawl?" She suggested, sarcastically.

"It's the other way around" Jaime mumbled.

"You look up to him" She realised.

"I did. His hatred for me gets in the way of that now" Jaime went on.

"He doesn't hate you…he just doesn't like you much" Keaira replied, as they both let out a small laugh.

"What did you do? His dislike of you seems personal" She couldn't help but ask a moment later, as they came to what she expected were his chambers.

"…I saved the City" Jaime answered, before entering his room, leaving Keaira confused.

* * *

Later that evening, Keaira had been permitted to eat with the Starks, even though she could tell the Septa wasn't pleased about this.

"Enough of that young lady, eat your food" Septa Mordane told Arya, who was stabbing the table with her knife.

"I'm practising" Arya stated.

"For what?" Sansa asked, it being one of the first things she had to Arya in a while.

"The Prince" Arya replied, leaving Sansa shocked.

Even Keaira was surprised by the outburst, knowing how dangerous it could be if someone overheard her.

"Arya Stark!" Mordane gasped.

"You can't say things like that here" Keaira warned her, noticing how the servant in the room had stopped what they were doing for a moment.

"He's a liar, and a coward and he killed my friend" Arya went on, continuing to stab the table.

"The Hound killed your friend" Sansa exclaimed.

"The Hound does whatever the Prince tells him too" Arya pointed out.

"You're an idiot" Sansa shook her head.

"You're a liar. And if you had told the truth Mica would still be alive" Arya argued, slamming the knife down on the table.

"Enough!" Mordane shouted.

Keaira could see the hurt look on Sansa's face at what her sister had just said and realised that Sansa must have felt guilty already for the boy's death.

"Arya, whatever Sansa said it wouldn't have made a difference. The Queen would have made sure that Mica died with her husband's support or without it" Keaira explained, as Arya thought about it for a moment.

"Don't speak to your sister that way" Mordane scolded her, as she stood her up and began to march her away.

"What's happened here?" Ned inquired, seeing the scene in front of him.

"Arya would rather act like a beast than a lady" Mordane informed him, as Arya had the good sense to look guilty.

"Go to your room, we will speak later" Ned ordered her, as she turned and left.

"She's still upset about the butcher boy's death" Keaira told him, as he nodded.

Ned sat down opposite her and placed a cloth package in front of Sansa, who looked at it with mild interest. She frowned when she opened it and found a pretty doll inside.

"The same dollmaker makes all Princess Myrcella's toys…don't you like it?" Ned questioned, when he saw her disappointed look.

"I haven't played with dolls since I was eight" Sansa spat back.

"…Still, it's a very nice doll-" Keaira started, but she was cut off.

"For a child" Sansa mumbled.

"May I be excused?" Sansa asked, as Ned looked down at the table, upset he had been able to cheer at least one of his daughter's up.

"You've barely eaten a thing" Septa Mordane stated.

"It's all right. Go on" Ned allowed, as Sansa quickly stood up and walked away.

"War was easier than daughters" Ned sighed, as Keaira let out a little laugh, and even Septa Mordane looked amused.

"It was a nice thought. Maybe a dress next time" Keaira suggested.

"Do you think they'll ever become less…complicated?" Ned hoped.

"They'll become more…sensible" Keaira offered.

"Speaking of sensible choices. Jory has had words with me. About you and the Lannister's" Ned began, as Keaira rolled her eyes.

"I've always been under the impression that I can speak to whoever I want. Am I wrong?" Keaira inquired, as Septa Mordane quickly left the table.

"Of course not. I just don't trust them, Keaira. Especially the Kingslayer" Ned confessed.

"Why not?" She retorted.

"Is his name not enough?" Ned argued, clearly not wanting to talk about the real reason.

Keaira sighed, knowing she was not going to get anywhere with the conversation. Ned was one of the most stubborn people she knew. But he wasn't her father, and she could make her own choices. Even if they did turn out to be the wrong ones.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I've re-edited the first couple chapters of this story so I'm hoping the whole thing will flow better now, so check it out if you want! As you can tell, tensions are rising between the Stark's which I'm sure Jaime is going to enjoy watching. Please leave a review:)

KvotheKylar: Aw, thank you so much for this review:) I'm so glad that you're enjoying this story as not that many people seem to at the moment. I really like the nickname too, haha.


	12. War Stories

Keaira was upset when she found out that Tyrion was planning on leaving to start his journey to the Wall. Even though she was happy that Jon would have someone she trusted there, she didn't want to lose the only friend she had made in the Capitol.

"Are you not worried how your father will react when he finds out you've left?" Keaira suggested, as she watched a group of servant's pack for Tyrion.

"By the time he finds out I'm gone, I'll be halfway to the Wall" Tyrion replied.

"Why do you want to go there so much?" Keaira asked.

"I want to piss of the edge of it" Tyrion answered, as the pair laughed.

"You want to make your father angry, don't you?" Keaira realised, getting a shrug from him.

"I wonder how long it will take for you to be kicked out…maybe three days?" Keaira teased, a moment later.

"Don't be silly…more like four days" Tyrion grinned.

"Will you make sure that Jon has been getting all my letters?" Keaira questioned.

"I will personally see to it" Tyrion promised.

"He hasn't replied to any of them" Keaira pouted, resting her head on her hands.

"I'm sure he has a good reason for not doing so" Tyrion exclaimed.

"He better. Or you can slap him from me" Keaira told him.

"I'll have to ask him to kneel first" Tyrion stated, making Keaira giggle.

"I'll miss you" Keaira admitted, a serious tone in her voice.

"I'll be back within a few months" Tyrion brushed off.

"You better write to me too" Keaira warned him.

"With such a polite offer as that, how could I refuse?" Tyrion replied, making Keaira grin.

They both turned as Tyrion's chamber door was opened, and his older brother stepped through.

"Father will not be happy when he hears this" Jaime announced.

"I think you're missing the whole reason he's doing this" Keaira mumbled.

"I'd like to speak to my brother…alone" Jaime exclaimed.

"Well then…this is goodbye" Tyrion said, as Keaira stood up.

"Take care of yourself" She told him, as she kneeled to the ground and pulled the surprised man into a hug.

"Fear not, I'm far too entertaining to be killed" Tyrion answered, as he hugged her back.

A low cough could be heard from behind them, as Jaime was clearly getting impatient.

"I'm going, I'm going" Keaira rolled her eyes, as she pulled back.

She waved to Tyrion one last time, before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

"There's no need to be rude" Tyrion pointed out.

"My apologises, I didn't realise I was interrupting something" Jaime raised an eyebrow.

"Keaira and I are just friends. There's no need to be jealous, brother" Tyrion responded, barely able to keep the smirk off his face.

"I don't see there anything to be jealous of" Jaime retorted, coolly.

"I have a favour to ask of you" Tyrion announced.

"I wasn't aware I owed you a favour" Jaime stated.

"You don't. But you'll do it anyway. I want you to look after Keaira" Tyrion went on.

"Why?" Jaime frowned.

"Because she's stubborn, and young. And I like her. And I know you do too" Tyrion exclaimed.

"She's trouble" Jaime rolled his eyes.

"Which is exactly why you like her" Tyrion smirked.

* * *

Keaira was strolling around the castle, not having much better to do then search her new surroundings when she noticed something odd. She could sense there was some sort of flame behind a nearby wall and reached out to touch the stone. There was definitely something behind the wall. She trailed her hand along the entire section but could find nothing. No hidden stone to open a secret wall like she had been hoping. She shook her head at her foolish behaviour and turned her back to leave. However, a thought suddenly popped into her head as she looked up and saw there was a suspiciously high torch at the top of the wall. With a flick of her hand she had extinguished the flame and suddenly, the wall opened revealing a dark passageway in front of her. Cautiously, she walked through the makeshift doorway and opened her palm to create a flame to help guide her way. She jumped when the door closed behind her and bit her lip. She wondered who knew about the secret passageway and what they do if they found out she knew about it. She turned her head as she heard a low mumbling sound to her left, and let her curiosity take over. She was surprised when she saw that there were small mirrors on the walls that seemed to allow a person to look through into every chamber of the castle. If she pressed her head against the mirrors she could even hear the conversations people were having. She looked in on people eating, arguing, sleeping, and wondered if there was a mirror to her own chambers.

"Jaime Lannister, son of the mighty Tywin..." Keaira could hear someone announce and stood on her tiptoes to see which room she had approached.

She was shocked when she found it was the King's chambers, and realised that he must not have known about the secret passageway. She could see one of the King's guards was in the room with him, Ser Barristan Selmy, a legend from what Keaira had heard. She noticed Jaime walk through the doorway, the golden amour he was wearing glistening in the sun.

"Forced to mind the door while your King eats and drinks and shits and fucks. So come on. We're telling war stories. Who was your first kill, not counting old men?" Robert mocked him.

"One of the outlaws in the Brotherhood" Jaime answered.

"I was there that day. You were only a squire, 16 years old" Barristan exclaimed.

The statement made Keaira wonder how Jaime must have felt on that day, being around the same age that she was. Did he feel good about it, she thought to herself.

"You killed Simon Toyne with a counter riposte. Best move I ever saw" Jaime said, with some awe to his voice.

Keaira could instantly see the respect on the Lannister's face, an expression which she had rarely seen.

"A good fighter, Toyne, but he lacked stamina" Barristan stated, as Jaime nodded, seemingly overjoyed to be able to have a conversation with the knight.

"Your outlaw...Any last words?" Robert interjected.

"I cut his head off, so no" Jaime smirked, manging to get an amused sound from Ser Barristan.

Jaime was clearly proud of this, a genuine smile on his face. It made Keaira think that the Barristan might have been one of the reasons that Jaime wanted to be a knight in the first place.

"What about Aerys Targaryen? What did the Mad King say when you stabbed him in the back? I never asked. Did he call you a traitor? Did he plead for a reprieve?" Robert went on, as Keaira could see a ghostly look come over Jaime's face.

"He said the same thing he'd been saying for hours...'Burn them all'" Jaime announced, with a far-off expression.

"If that's all, your Grace..." Jaime trailed off, seeing the shocked look on the King's face.

He nodded at Ser Barristan before leaving the room, having got the reaction he was looking for. Keaira stepped away from the mirror, a frown on her face. There was obviously much more to the story of what happened on the day he killed the Mad King, and she couldn't figure out why he wouldn't tell anyone.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. So I'm back! I wonder who created the secret passageway? Please leave a review if you want to see more:)

SunshineBubbles: Aw, thank you for this review:) I'm really glad you like this story!


	13. Secret Passageway

Jaime knew that the Stark's ward was going to be trouble, but he hadn't expected just how much grief she was going to give him. After Tyrion made him promise he would look out for her, he had kept true to his word and looked for her when he could. However, she was much harder to find than he expected. Either she knew he was following her or something else was going on. Tyrion was one of the only people in the world who thought his word still meant something, so he wasn't going to let the young girl prove him wrong for doing so. He let out a breath of relief when, after spending a good amount of the morning he was finally able to spot Keaira. He frowned when he noticed she seemed to be staring intensely at a torch above her head and then with a quick flick of her fingers extinguished the flame.

"Practising your powers?" Jaime announced, as he approached her.

She let out a small yelp as she turned around. There was shock evident on her face as she quickly pressed herself against the nearby wall.

"Do you enjoy scaring people?" Keaira retorted, glaring at him.

"Of course" Jaime smirked, as he came to stand near her.

"Was there something you needed?" Keaira insisted, clearly wanting to get rid of him.

As Jaime was about to answer, he noticed the wall behind her seemed crooked in some way. As he went to get a closer look, she moved to stand in front of the crack.

"What are you hiding?" Jaime questioned, as he easily moved her out of the way and touched the crack in the wall.

His eyes widened as he looked through the crack and could see there was some sort of tunnel behind it. He couldn't understand how he had never noticed it and how Keaira knew about it. Jaime heard a sigh from behind him as Keaira reignited the flame above them, and then just as quickly extinguished it, as the wall opened far enough that he could step through it.

"Quickly, before someone sees" Keaira exclaimed, as she pushed him through the gap.

The wall closed behind them a few seconds later as Jaime realised, he could barely see a thing. There was some movement from behind him and then a flash of light as he turned to see Keaira holding a torch.

"What is this place?" Jaime queried.

"A secret passageway that lets you listen in to almost every room in the Castle" Keaira informed him, as Jaime's mouth hung open slightly.

"What?...Did you create this place?" Jaime asked, as Keaira laughed.

"In the few weeks I've been here? No. It's been here for a long time, but someone else has been using it recently" Keaira explained.

"Does the King know about this?" Jaime inquired, fear washing over his face for only a second.

"No. It connects to his bedchambers as well" Keaira answered.

"And mine?" Jaime frowned, as she nodded.

"I've been trying to figure out who created it by ruling out who's chambers are not connected to the passageway" She told him.

"Any success?" Jaime asked, as they began to slowly venture down the dark passageway.

"No. There's too many rooms to go through, but I've been able to exclude a lot of people" She went on.

He stopped when he heard soft voices from nearby and walked closer to a gap in the wall and strained to listen. He realised it was Maester Pycelle's bedchambers and by the sounds of it he had a lady's company.

"I just try to avoid that room…they might hear if I throw up" Keaira stated, with a grimace.

"When did you find this place?" Jaime questioned.

"A little over a week ago" Keaira shrugged, as they continued.

"And what have you heard?" Jaime replied.

"Not much. People have pretty boring conversations here" She dismissed.

"Have you spent anytime outside my bedchambers?" Jaime inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"No…but I did hear your conversation with the King" Keaira admitted, as Jaime instantly knew what she was talking about.

"Didn't Ned Stark teach you that eavesdropping is rude?" Jaime grumbled.

"You would have done exactly the same in my position" Keaira retorted.

"Perhaps" Jaime mumbled.

"You know everyone acts like the reason you killed the Mad King is black and white-" Keaira started, but he cut her off.

"Nothing is ever black and white" Jaime stated.

"Well I wouldn't mind hearing the grey version" Keaira exclaimed.

"I killed the person I had promised to protect, isn't that enough?" Jaime snapped, as Keaira could tell she was going to get nowhere.

* * *

Keaira was surprised when a few days later Jory approached her and pressed a letter into Keaira's hand, obviously in a bad mood.

"What's this?" Keaira frowned.

"A letter from Lord Stark to the King. See if you can get the Kingslayer to take it" Jory grumbled, as he stormed off.

Surprised at this outburst, she began to walk towards the King's bedchambers, not sure why Jory had given her the task.

"Jory is usually a very mild-mannered man, I can't help but wonder what you did to annoy him so" Keaira announced, as she approached Jaime.

"I treat all the wolves in the North with the same respect I would give Lord Stark" Jaime smirked, as Keaira shook her head, fondly.

Before Keaira could say anything else, loud giggles and shrieks could be heard from the King's bedchambers. He clearly had the company of numerous prostitutes, and by the expression on Jaime's face, had for a while.

"He likes to do this when I'm on duty. He makes me listen while he insults my sister" Jaime told her, as she grimaced.

She could see the pain on Jaime's face as he spoke, he must have hated anyone disrespecting his sister, but in this case, there was nothing he could do about it. But maybe I could, she thought to herself.

With a mischievous grin, Keaira rushed behind a nearby pillar, making Jaime frown. She then raised both of her hands and closed her eyes, trying to get her breathing to slow down. Loud shrieks could then be heard from inside the King's chambers, as four prostitutes ran out, scared expressions on their faces.

"What happened?" Jaime asked, stopping one of them.

"The King's curtains suddenly set on fire, it seemed like the whole room was going to go up in flames…then it stopped just as quickly" The young woman panted, as Jaime let her go.

"Lannister, get in here!" Robert's voice boomed, a hint of fear to his voice.

"Yes?" Jaime replied, as he opened the door.

"Find out who created these curtains and punish them accordingly for their shoddy work" The King commanded, trying not laugh at Robert's panicked expression.

"Of course, my King" Jaime smirked, as he closed the door.

He turned to see Keaira grinning behind the pillar, as she raised an eyebrow his way. Jaime shook his head in disbelief as he realised that she was the one who created the flames that scared the King. Keaira tried to keep the strain of what she had just done off her face, but she clearly wasn't good enough. For a split second it almost looked like concern on Jaime's face.

"So…about taking this letter?" Keaira exclaimed, as she walked forward.

"I think I can get it to the King" Jaime nodded, as she handed him the parchment.

With a smug smile, Keaira turned to leave, as Jaime's eyes followed her as she disappeared down the corridor. He couldn't deny it anymore, the girl was beginning to get under his skin.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Can I have some reviews please? What do you guys like about this story and what don't you like?


	14. The Tourney of the Hand

The tourney of the Hand was as bloody as Keaira had expected, with Ser Hugh being killed on the first day by the Mountain. Keaira liked to think that she was not easily scared, but the giant man terrified her. She was sure he'd be able to crush her skull with one hand. Arya did not seem to share this fear, as she noticed the young girl's look of amazement as she watched the joust. Her eyes seemed to light up as she watched Ser Hugh choke on his last breaths. On the complete opposite end of the scale, Sansa looked like she was about to faint as she watched the same scene. Keaira herself felt indifferent, it was a horrible way to die but the young man should have known what he was getting himself into. She knew that it had been noticed that Ned was not in attendance of his own tourney but not even she knew what he was up to. She felt as though she had become out of sync with the Starks since reaching the Capitol, so she was happy to be able to spend the day with Sansa and Arya. She wasn't surprised in the slightest as she watched Jaime beat all his opponents in the tourney, even managing to throw Ser Barristan from his horse. Anyone else would have been met by thunderous applause but instead it was met with a sharp insult from the King as usual. She could see that this hurt Jaime even though he would never admit it. He was far too proud, and as quick as the expression was there it was gone. As he rode away there were a few claps from the crowd, including Keaira. She and Jaime shared a quick glance as he went past them, as she gave him a small smile. She was glad that Ned wasn't there to witness and then analyse the interaction, but she noticed that Lord Baelish who for some reason suddenly seemed very interested in Sansa, had.

* * *

The next day Ned decided to come to the Tourney, stating to Keaira he had been preoccupied with a book the day before. She knew there was obviously more to the story, but he didn't seem comfortable with divulging more. The King seemed to be getting more and more irritated by the fact that Jaime Lannister still had not shown for the tourney.

"I wonder what could have the Kingslayer so preoccupied" Littlefinger exclaimed, his eyes flickering over to the Queen for a moment.

Keaira's eyes widened at this gesture and realised that he must have known about the sibling's relationship. His eye caught hers as he turned around and knew she had seen where he had looked. As he raised an eyebrow at her, she quickly turned away, a frown still on her face.

"He must be somewhere in the Castle. Look harder" She heard Cersei hiss from above them.

"Um…if you'll excuse me, I need to get something to drink" Keaira announced, as Ned nodded and let her past him.

The Queen watched the young girl leave, as she herself was about to stand up and look for her brother. She couldn't help but wonder if Keaira had the same idea.

"Forget the bloody Kingslayer! Start the tourney!" The King ordered, raising his goblet high.

"But Keaira will miss the beginning" Sansa pouted.

"Perhaps a tourney without Jaime Lannister is not of interest to her" Littlefinger said loud enough so both Ned and Cersei heard him.

* * *

Keaira was unsurprised when she found Jaime not far inside of the passageway, a bottle of wine by his side and his glass already half empty.

"Do you often drink by yourself in the dark or is this a new hobby?" Keaira asked.

"Well I'm no longer by myself, am I?" Jaime replied, handing the glass her way.

He didn't seem too sure whether she would take up his offer, but grinned as she took a swig of the wine. Within a few seconds she had downed the entire contents and sat down on the floor beside him.

"The tourney has already begun" She informed him.

"I'm sure many will be heartbroken at my absence" Jaime scoffed.

"Maybe not, but I don't think your sister will be happy" Keaira told him.

"She didn't even congratulate me after I beat Ser Barristan…then again she did have to spend most of the day with the King, so I can understand her mood" Jaime sighed.

"It was an impressive feat yesterday, I'll give you that" Keaira mumbled, as she poured herself some more wine.

"If only everyone felt the same as you" Jaime said, bitterly.

"Then the King would probably be ordering mass killings. They only show disdain towards you to please him" Keaira suggested, sipping on her drink.

"And Ned Stark?" Jaime queried, as he took the drink from her hand.

"Well I'd like to tell you why you irritate him, but you refuse to tell me what happened with the Mad King, so here we are…" Keaira retorted.

"Here we are" Jaime repeated, holding up the glass in mock toast.

"And I think that's enough drinking for you" Keaira laughed, taking the drink before he could put it to his lips.

She stood up then, dusting off her dress in case she got any dirt on it, as Jaime followed suit.

"Why are you so interested in those events?" Jaime couldn't help but ask.

"Because I have never known Ned to hate anyone for no reason" Keaira admitted.

"He has every right to hate me…but not for that" Jaime mumbled, as Keaira frowned.

"What does-" Keaira was cut off as Jaime suddenly placed his hand against her mouth and stamped on the torch.

He then proceeded to press her against the wall, a hand going to her waist. Angrily, she raised her hand and gave him a hard slap to the face, which almost made him lose his grip on her, as he wasn't expecting it.

"Sh!" He insisted, using his hand that had been on her waist to grabs hers, and press it against the wall.

She was about to use her other hand to hit him, when she heard footsteps. Her eyes widened as she saw a torch approaching them. She could see a large figure start to come into view and acted impulsively to distinguish the flames of the torch they were carrying. An angry muttering could be heard, and then fast footsteps as whoever it was rushed forwards, so they could grab the torch further down the passageway. Once they got closer to the torch on the wall, Keaira could see them better and found they were completely bald. Varys. He grabbed the torch and continued on his way, as both she and Jaime held their breath until he was completely out of view. Keaira then lit the torch by their feet, as Jaime finally took his hand away from her mouth.

"At least we know who's been using this passageway" Jaime stated.

"That's how he knows everything. Not because of his little 'birds' but because of this place. He can spy on everyone, all the time. It's…very impressive" Keaira exclaimed.

"Are you not more appalled?" Jaime suggested.

"More appalled that I never suspected him" Keaira sighed, disappointed.

Jaime let out a small laugh, which Keaira shared, both relieved that they had not been spotted. It was then that Keaira realised how close they still were, as she could feel the warmth of Jaime's hand through her thin dress. Her eyes dropped to his lips momentarily, as she wondered whether he had even noticed where his hand still lay.

"You hit hard for a girl" Jaime chuckled, the hand that had been on her waist going to touch his face.

"And you are very rude for a Knight" Keaira retorted.

"I have a reputation to uphold" Jaime smirked, as he picked up the torch on the floor.

Keaira could then see that the reason the slap must have hurt was because her fingernails had scratched him. She grimaced as she saw the tiny scratches on his face.

"How're you going to explain those cuts on your face?" Keaira inquired.

"I'll say I propositioned a beautiful young maid...I'll just have to find one first" Jaime teased, as she hit his arm, laughing lightly.

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I know the tourney is a bit different in the books vs. the TV show, so I think I've ended up adding things from both. Varys' secret passageway is going to be an important thing throughout this story so watch out for that. Also, I think from this chapter that we can see Keaira is starting to think of Jaime in a more romantic way, whereas Jaime seems to see her as more of a friend at the moment. Please leave a review:)

xx az xx: Aw, thanks for this review:) I'm so happy that you like her and she makes you laugh! She's definitely a bit more fun than some characters, haha.

Laura201112: Thank you for the review! I'm really happy you're enjoying this story so far, it really helps motivate me:)

Will'0 Wisp: I think this is probably the longest review I've ever gotten and the longest reply I'll write. Thank you saying I'm a good writer. I'm always willing to take criticism on board as long as it's helpful and not rude. One of my issues with this story has been all the negative feedback I have gotten which has massively dented my motivation and I have to admit this is not one of my better written stories as sometimes I feel like what's the point? I think the Wildling issue is due to me re-writing this story about five times now, things have been missed out which were included at first. In my first go with writing this story I had Benjen thinking that Keaira most likely was a noble girl due to the things he found on her e.g. clothes and jewellery and that she had been injured and basically dumped on the wrong side of the wall. However, in my re-write I decided to just go straight into the story as it just didn't flow very well. So yeah, I guess I felt that Benjen thought she was a noble girl and not a wildling. I do think I could play on this more though, as clearly there is no evidence whatsoever. I do admit that my character's relationships are quite similar to a lot of other stories, but that's just the way that I wanted to write it I guess. I do disagree with her being a great swordsman, she only picked up a sword a few chapters ago and would have no idea how to wield one. She's also terrible at archery etc. So in that way I certainly don't think she's very Mary Sue like. Cat asks her to watch over them as she knows how dangerous Kings Landing is and she knows that Keaira cares for her children. With Jaime's characterisation I suppose I'm trying to show how he could have been different if someone had tried to get through to him. I think you can see even in the first season that he longs to be liked by people and actually have friends and Keaira is basically offering him that. She is not an object of desire to Robb either, they are friends and would be willing to have an arranged marriage but that is it really. With the Protector in the North title, I think this is once again me forgetting I've edited things out and not re-written them. I originally had a scene with King Robert not knowing what to do with Keaira, having half his advisors telling him to use her, the other half telling him to kill her. So in the end he decided to basically get rid of her. Keep her at the Wall where she would most likely be killed but not by his own hand. I don't get the thing with Jon's hair? I'm not sure why you would think I'm talking about the actor, I think it's just a part of Jon that physically stands out the most and Keaira has quite a teasing nature. I think the thing with Keaira being put into people's story arcs is that, well she's in Kings Landing, she's in amongst all the big players, she will interact with them. What would the story be about otherwise? I'm not sure what you mean about prophetic dreams unless your talking about the first chapter? That was just a nightmare. She's been told she needs to protect the North and what is the big Myth about beyond the wall? White walkers. There won't be much men fighting over her, as soon enough Jon will be meeting Ygritte and then Dany. I will take on what you mean about her becoming her own person a bit more, but I think that's also just a flaw with who she is. I feel like OC stories are probably not for you but I will take what you have said on board.


End file.
